The Queen Of Narnia
by Altena Q
Summary: Narnia Golden Age, a fill in to "Horse and His Boy". When queen Susan has her love affair with the calormenian prince, queen Lucy has her own. One that nobody would believe in, one she needs to keep a secret and which one day can either save or destroy Narnia entirely. An adult version to the chronicles. Femslash
1. The Party

A wall of ice appeared in her dream again, it happened almost every night. She couldn't get rid of it, no matter, how intensely she tried to keep herself occupied with her daily queen's activities. Lucy was the queen of Narnia. One of the Great Four. Her brother, King Peter the Magnificent, guarded the borders, once in a while sending troops to distant places, waiting for any sign of a hostile invasion. The younger brother, King Edmund the Just, was always involved in diplomatic meetings and conferences with the neighbor lands' representatives. Edmund was the most careful of them all, when it came to the Narnia's relations with other countries. "We cannot let the history repeat itself", he was saying over and over, as if he alone, and only he, was personally responsible for their safety and wellbeing. Lucy knew that this anxiousness had its source in a deeply hidden guilt, coming back to Edmund in his own nightmares. He hated the snow. Any snow. Each memory of the old winter times made him angry. And there was Susan, her older sister, the beautiful queen Susan the Gentle, admired and loved by many, desired by even more. And she seemed to enjoy it. As the true queen, she danced gracefully on every ball, was full of life and brilliant, organized the archery tourneys and at least once in a month refused a marriage proposal.

She, Lucy, was said to be the healer of Narnia. She knew best, which trees haven't fully recovered after the Great War, which mermaid was heartbroken, or which faun lost the song competition. Everybody in Narnia was her friend and she was a friend to everybody. To that point that some of them kept forgetting to say "Your Majesty" - so straightforward and easygoing she was. Sometimes Susan watched her dancing with faeries and felt a slight flow of envy. Lucy was cheerful, bright and making the people of all kinds happy around her seemed only natural. She was the most loved one of them all. Lucy on the other hand, watched her sister's grace and beauty and sometimes straightened her back a little bit more at the royal table, wondering if she could ever be considered equally graceful, equally elegant. Her hair flowed wildly, no matter how long she combed it, and her dresses got dirty more quickly. Perhaps it was due to her regular running through the woods, but, she thought, Susan's clothes were perfect even on the archery arena. So was her hair, her face and everything else.

"You have the sweetest smile in the world," Mr. Tumnus told her and she brightened up. But there was something in her eyes that didn't smile. Lucy didn't want to be the sweetest, the cutest, the most adorable one, but never treated seriously. She didn't want to be a child anymore. Yet, strangely, she felt like one. Like there was another Lucy inside of her, a little girl, who never grew up and looked upon the world with innocent eyes, not believing anyone could ever harm her.

"Sometimes I feel like the time has stopped," she said to the faun. He gazed at her intensively and was silent for a long while.

"Perhaps it did, to you, my queen," he mused. Lucy blinked, surprised. Mr. Tumnus didn't speak to her with this tone of voice very often. Again, she had an impression like he knew something about her, watched her carefully and read through her thoughts, even those that remained secret to herself.

One day Lucy left the faun's house, where, like every week, she drank tea and ate a delicious pie, and headed back to the castle. The trees were whispering their songs in the air and the colorful birds were accompanying her, chirping and flattering around her head. On the meadow behind a big willow tree, Lucy saw a family of foxes. Four young ones played happily on the grass and jumped towards her immediately. She laughed and kneeled down to let them climb on her laps and caressed their fluffy tails.

"Now, now, don't bother the queen," said Fox Mother, sticking her nose slightly out from a hole in the ground that apparently was their home.

"It's alright, they don't disturb me!" Lucy protested and she brought one up, letting him curl around her neck. "They are so adorable!" But she put the little one back down, seeing a rush of anxiousness in the fox family.

"Forgive me, my lady, but we must hurry!"

"Where are you heading to?" Lucy asked politely, seeing Fox Father coming out of the hole and ordering all the children to walk in line.

"Towards the mountains, our cousins invited us for a party!" Said one of the little ones and suddenly got a slap in the butt from the father. Lucy saw a quick exchange of looks among them and couldn't understand, what was so big deal in their heading to the mountains? They were quite far, yes, and high, but the fox family sure didn't mean to go up too high. Always being able to sense the others' mood, she felt the foxes didn't want her to know where they were going to. This was the most puzzling. But as the foxes vanished in the bushes, she shrugged, slowly stood up and continued her walk. It wasn't her business anyway.

The setting sun on the horizon was almost completely gone now, hiding behind the rocks of the sea shore and the last beams lay on Cair Paravel's towers and went further, to the distant shapes of Northern Mountains. For one moment their tops glowed in a fiery game of red, orange and violet light, and went dark again. Lucy watched this spectacle of colors with amazement. It was like the mountains were disappearing, unless they were touched with light.

"There you are! You are supposed to sit beside me this evening, we have guests!" Susan snarled at her impatiently in the corridor. "Just look at you, all dirty again...," she made her turn around and wiped her neck with a napkin. Apparently the fox child from before left some mud on her white collar, which she didn't even notice. Lucy sighed.

"Just give me a few minutes, I'll be right there."

She closed the door of her bedroom and breathed deeply. There it was again. One of the queen Susan's shows. Lucy even didn't know which guests exactly her sister was referring to. Another delegation from Calormen? Probably. If she was not mistaken, this would be the second one. Or the third one. The dark skinned prince (what was his name again? Radagast? No, Rabadash, that was it!) always stared at them with very penetrating, intense gaze, which was making her uncomfortable. Lucy was perfectly happy among all the people and creatures of Narnia, some of the neighbors however seemed not like them. However, she, above all, knew, how important was their role as diplomats and she also performed this role greatly. But Susan was the best in it. As Lucy entered the great hall, her sister was already sitting on the throne and gave her an impatient gesture, then smiled charmingly and stood up, welcoming their guests. A long line of the noble and richly dressed gentlemen was slowly approaching the thrones, bowing before them and saying compliments in sophisticated words. Lucy smiled, reassured by supporting gazes of Mr. Tumnus' relatives, guarding both queens. Lucy thought that Susan looked stunningly great. Her light-green, like early spring leaves, dress was shining gently because of the little, silver diamond-like gems, embroidered precisely into the fabric and fitting her crown very well. Her hair was styled in a perfect pouf, making the fine line of her neck and shoulders even more beautiful. Lucy straightened herself. Her own dress was dark blue, it was the first one she found in her wardrobe and the quickest one to put on. Her hair was tied up with a silver pin and she could only hope she managed to clean her neck properly. But when she approached, everybody in the room brightened up.

"Queen Lucy, as lovely as ever." Lucy heard Rabadash's jovial voice and felt his slightly wet kiss on her hand. Suddenly she wondered, what in the world she had done with her favorite gloves. "Need to find them immediately." She smiled sweetly and thanked for the compliments, controlling the increasing urge to wash her hands. But a moment later it was again Susan, not her, in the center of the attention and she felt very grateful for that. She welcomed the food on the table with enthusiasm, as the long trip back home made her hungry, and listened to the news from the outside world.

"The Giants of the North crossed the border two times last month. Something must be done quickly!"

"Something will be done." She heard Peter's voice. He joined them in the middle of the dinner and looked tired.

"May I say how lucky we, Calormenes are, to have such wonderful and charming allies, protecting our homes from danger. My dearest queen Susan, will you honor me with your first dance?"

Lucy watched as Susan gracefully let Rabadash lead her to the dance floor and tried to read the emotions from her sister's face. As the music started, they swirled away among the other dancing couples and she couldn't see them anymore. 'What if Susan gets married?' She wondered. Would that make Narnia and Calormen be like one country? Would that be a good thing? Would Susan be happy? Lucy felt like something froze in her heart on this thought. No, she felt it very clearly. Rabadash was not the kind of man who would make her sister happy. There was no honesty in his eyes, but a great desire and hunger that she could not yet understand. Later that evening she decided to share these thoughts with her sister.

"Him? Of course not!" Susan laughed amused, changing in her night wear. They were sitting together in her bedroom. Lucy felt relieved.

"Why did you think so, is that because I danced with him?"

She nodded. "You looked like you enjoyed it. I thought... well, never mind. I don't know how to explain it, but I do not trust him." Lucy confessed. Susan took her gently by the hand.

"Thank you, sister. It is good to know there is always someone to watch my back." They exchanged warm smiles and peaceful again, drank more of the hot chocolate, prepared for them every night before they went to sleep. Lucy felt how the hot liquid pleasantly warmed up her body and she felt calm and cheerful. They were perfectly safe in Narnia now, right? So what could possibly happen? Even if Susan turns Rabadash down, she would do it gently, as always, and they and Calormenes remain good allies, Lucy was thinking.

"But what about you? You have so many friends. There must be someone who would love to be your sweetheart."

"There is none." Lucy shook her head. Susan gazed at her, curiously.

"Come on. Mr. Tumnus has a crush on you like... forever!"

Lucy blushed. "Don't say that! He is a friend. And we have been friends since... forever." She wondered, as she realized that in fact she had no idea, how long exactly she knew Mr. Tumnus. That thought made her frown.

"What's the matter?"

"I don't know, just... Susan, when I think about our childhood years in Narnia, everything seems foggy. There was the war, which we won, and we came here."

"We were always here, silly!" Susan laughed a little bit patronizingly and caressed Lucy's forehead with a motherly gesture.

Lucy didn't like it.

"I am not a child anymore." She stood up and headed to the door.

"Alright, alright, you don't have to be so..."

"Everything's alright, girls?" Edmund's head appeared in the door's opening. And got hit by a pillow.

"Next time you should knock first; we could have been changing!" Susan shouted and Edmund rolled his eyes, as he entered the room and threw the pillow back at her. Lucy instantly forgot her concerns. She joined the pillow fight and for the next while the two queens and the younger king of Narnia were laughing, jumping on the big, royal bed, and throwing pillows, until they got tired and each of them headed to the own room.


	2. Lucy's Dream

The wall of ice was before her again. Lucy stood very close, practically touching it with her face, trying to look inside, like through a window. But she couldn't see anything, neither the transparent structure or the frost, nor her own reflection. The wall was white, shining and very solid.

"You need to go with us!" She heard the familiar voices from behind. She turned and saw the family of foxes from the wood, jumping in excitement and looking at her.

"Go where?" She asked curiously.

"To the party! You are invited to!" The Fox Children shouted at her and suddenly they ran between her legs and jumped into the ice wall. So did their parents and before the last fluffy tail vanished in the wall, the Fox Father repeated.

"Come on, join us! In the mountains!"

Lucy woke up. It was another, beautiful day and quite late hour, judging on the sun being already above the ships from the pier. Her bedroom windows were on the eastern side, so, for Lucy, the morning sun was telling her the time more accurately than any clock. Naturally, only when the sky wasn't clouded. But that was rare in Narnia. In fact, there was always summer there. Cloudy and rainy days happened from time to time as well, but even they were always warm. Lucy stood up and wondered, reminding her vivid dream. Now she remembered not only the wall of ice and the foxes, but also the snow. She was definitely standing in the snow that almost covered her feet. That brought to her the old memories of something shiny and cold, but pretty. The snowflakes dancing in the air like little crystals. She liked them and felt she wouldn't mind the winter in Narnia again, sometimes. Everything then was sparkling, silvery white and soft. It was beautiful. Of course, she knew she shouldn't ever mention this to Edmund. But these thoughts didn't want to go away, so she decided to confess them before her best friend.

"No, I don't miss the snow. At all." Said Mr. Tumnus firmly when they met again to share a cup of tea. This time she brought him a cherry pie, baked in the castle and Mr. Tumnus was delighted. But her mentioning the snow was apparently a bad idea. He saddened and their conversation wasn't as merry as usual. She noticed how he looked at her anxiously, with a hidden guilt, the same kind of guilt she had seen in Edmund's eyes.

"Come on, Mr. Tumnus. It was so long ago. Don't be sad, please?" She patted him on the hand.

"Do you want to hear a new song?" Suddenly he snapped out of the nostalgia and reached his flute. Lucy grinned. That was the Mr. Tumnus she loved to visit.

He started to play and the new melody was cheerful at the beginning, but later the main motive got haunting and melancholic, turning into an unexpected culmination, making Lucy feel lonely, yearning for something she didn't know, yet, something important, calling her and crying. She closed her eyes and then the ice wall appeared again. She clung to it and slowly, her hands pressed gently on the cold surface and felt no ice anymore. They came through.

"Lucy! Lucy! Wake up!"

Mr. Tumnus shook her by the shoulders and looked concerned.

"My music must be really bad, to put you to sleep so quickly." He said apologetically.

"On the contrary! It was beautiful. It was like magic. And made me dream strange dreams..." She whispered more to herself, but the faun looked at her closely.

"You are very pale. And your hands are shaking!"

She realized it was true. Her hands were white and cold, as if she really kept them in the ice, and they were shaking.

"Here, have some tea!"

She took the cup and felt instantly better. The warmth brought back the blood to her veins and her eyes shone brighter.

"Don't worry, Mr. Tumnus! It was just a strange dream, nothing more." She smiled sweetly. One hour later she hugged her friend and promised to come back the next week, as always.

'I am worried, dearest Lucy. I am.' He thought, coming back to his empty house, much bigger and prettier than the old one, from before the war. It was a gift from the Queens and Kings of Narnia, to have him closer to the castle, as the royal guard. He reached the closet with some old pictures and scrolls. Even his own imprisonment scrolls from "Her Majesty Jadis the Queen of Narnia" was still there. He didn't know why he never threw it away. "Long live the Queen!" He read and stared at it, musing.

"The Calormenes are leaving. And they don't look happy!" Edmund whispered to Lucy the next morning at the breakfast table. Susan giggled.

"Too bad you didn't see his face when I turned down his proposal!"

Peter rolled his eyes.

"You didn't say a clear 'no' to him. I really think you should be more honest."

"Peter, dear," said Susan mockingly. "You need to learn more about women. To leave a hint of hope in a man's heart makes him adore you even more. And he knows that was a no. He is not that stupid, is he?" She winked at Lucy, who burst into laughter over her plate with boiled eggs.

"I think your behavior is stupid." Peter wasn't amused. "You are playing and toying with our neighbor. He might feel offended. Do you know, what it could mean to Narnia?"

Susan sighed. She indeed loved to flirt and be adored by everyone. But Peter was right after all. Maybe she shouldn't have drunk so much wine last night?

"Alright, if this goes on, I send him an honest message. Cross my heart."

"Girls!" Edmund and Peter exchanged their looks.

"How is your Giant Problem, Piet?" Asked Edmund suddenly, making Lucy giggle. "Giant Problem" was his way to refer to the latest issue with the Northern Giants crossing Narnia's borders.

"Not good. I may need some more people to secure the entire quarter. They become bolder with every month."

"Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go together!" Edmund's voice got impatient. He was always eager to get into some fighting.

"But weren't you supposed to visit Archenland the next week?"

"I will go with you!" Lucy jumped on the chair. They all stared at her, surprised.

"Lu...", started Peter, but she didn't let him finish. "You always try to keep me away when something is going on. Did you forget who healed everybody after The Last Battle? And who trained the archery with Susan and throwing knives with Ed?" Her voice was raised and loud and her eyes shone with excitement as she spoke. She didn't even think why it was that important that she would go, she just felt how much she wanted it. Needed it. And there was nothing that could stop her.

"Alright, if you insist." Peter said with resignation. He didn't feel like fighting the younger sister this time. "But I don't want to be forced to watch your back instead of the giants", he added not thinking and instantly realized he shouldn't have. His sister's title was Lucy the Valiant after all. "I am sorry. I didn't mean that, Lu."

"Don't worry," she replied coldly. "I can perfectly watch my back myself." But she wasn't really angry and Peter knew about it. The next day, they both, in perfect brother-sister harmony, led the troops towards the Northern Mountains.


	3. Trip To The Mountains

"Trip to the mountains"

"Are you alright, Lu?" Peter stopped the horse and gave the orders to prepare the camp for the night. They were already at the bottom of the Northern Hills, the forest got more wild over there and the rocks all around were bigger and bigger. It seemed like they used to roll between the trees and later stood still and stayed there, reminding that it was the forest growing into the mountains, not the other way around. And the mountains didn't like it. Even the air seemed different. More chilly and nicely fresh, but also windy.

Lucy waved at Peter and pointed a nice, soft corner of the green field, perfect for building a tent. She very much liked this trip. The fresh air and different landscapes made her feel excited and full of energy, as if expecting a wonderful adventure coming up. The life in the castle was a little bit boring after all. She missed the wilderness and welcomed a few weeks without royal audiences, balls and all the "queen things", as she thought of them. She grinned at her brother.

"Perfect!"

One hour later they were sitting at the fire place, eating dinner. Bread and cheese with fruits also tasted much better after the entire day of travelling, under the open sky full of stars and the rising moon. Lucy checked her pockets and found a set of little daggers and the bottle with the healing potion she got during the war. Not taking anything out, Lucy lay down on the blanket and let her mind drift away. The stars seemed to shine brighter and brighter, the longer she stared at them. Almost falling asleep she felt something little and cold, but very soft, touching her right hand. The fire and torches around gave enough light to see quite clearly and, to her surprise, Lucy noticed one, big snow flake on her finger. It glowed like a little crystal and melted before she managed to show it to anybody.

"Pieter! You won't believe it! I saw a snow flake!" She burst. Her brother looked at her, astonished.

"What are you talking about? Here? Now? In this temperature?"

"I saw it! It landed on my hand. And melted."

Peter looked at her hand carefully. Then at the cloudless sky.

"And where on earth it was supposed to fall from?" He smiled. For a moment she felt like a little girl being scolded for making up stories. It was a strangely familiar and very annoying feeling.

"I know what I saw!" She insisted.

Peter searched through the grass and found a few blow-balls growing nearby. He took one to the hand and closed to her.

"It might have been one of them. They do look like snow flakes."

Lucy had to admit he had a point. Then she scratched her right hand and could swear for a moment she felt a drop of cold water. But she didn't say anything.

That night she saw the fox family again. They were dancing around another fox, a different one. The new fox was white, much more furry than the red ones, with a long, puffy tail, looking so soft that Lucy instantly wanted to hide her fingers in it.

"Come to the party, Queen Lucy!" They called her. "Come to us, it is not far away!"

And then she felt the snow flakes covering her face. They were falling slowly, gently, some of them stopped on her nose and on her eylashes. Everything around got bright and white and she could see very clearly their beautiful, crystal structures. Each of them was different, each was wonderful. She felt could study their shapes forever.

"You can come to the party, because you don't hate the snow." Said the white fox and looked at her with its piercing, blue eyes. Lucy woke up.

"A giant! Giant behind the hill!" She heard the screams and running all over the camp. Peter jumped up and reached his sword. She followed him out of the tent and saw their troops running chaotically around, trying to get together their belongings and weapons.

"Everybody, make the line!" Peter yelled and ran to his horse. A few minutes later they were rushing up through the woods, following the distant sound of falling trees and something that dangerously rumbled like the rocks being crushed against the ground.

"Careful, not too closely!" Lucy warned her brother. Pieter nodded, apparently he also realised that being on the lower level than the giant, in a place full of rocks, at night, in the middle of the woods, was a bad idea.

"We need to surround him."

"But first we need to see more over here." She pointed the East, where the sky was getting already brighter.

"King Peter!" A soldier joined them, carrying a letter. He handled it to Peter.

"This is a call for help from the village behind this hill. Apparently the giant wanted to make them his meal.

"But I thought there was a truce between giants and Narnia."

"So did I." Peter frowned. "Lucy. Could you check on the village, please. They might need healing. And we will follow the giant.

Lucy and her guards separated from them and soon the disturbing sounds of a stumping giant got more distant. Apparently the creature was heading back to the Eastern side of the Northern lands, while the village was right before her.

The first beams of sun lited the village, showing them the sad result of giant's activity. At least half of the houses were ruined and the villagers crowded on the edge of the forest. A few of them had already managed to bring some food and belongings, but they were still afraid of the second attack.

"Queen Lucy is here!" The rumour spread around instantly and in a few minutes Lucy and her guards were surrounded by those, who were less injured. She jumped off the horse and followed them, squeezing the healing potion in her hand. About hundred of men, women and children lay on the ground, some of them with broken arms and legs, some covered in blood.

"Thank you, Your Majesty", she heard from around, rushing from one person to another, not feeling tired until she was done. Then her legs shook and one of her guards neeeded to support her.

"Thank you, Fern", she smiled to the centaur.

"Your Majesty, how can we protect ourselves?" One of the older women approached her. She wore a simple, village clothing, now dirty and a little bit torn apart on the bottom. "We have no soldiers here. And we need to rebuild our homes. And..."

She gestured them to listen.

"My brother Peter and his troops have already followed the giant. I promise you, we will do everything that lies in our powers to bring back your safety!"

Cheers welcomed her little speech and she felt much better. It was wonderful to see that these people really had faith in her. She wanted to do more, to give them hope.

"I will also make sure you will get food and clothes supplies, and some tents to have a good rest at night."

More cheers were heard and many hands reached out to her, to touch their queen and take comfort in her support. Lucy ordered the part of her assistance to stay with them and help and rushed with the others back to the camp to get some of their own tents and blankets.

"I need to send message to others. We do need more people in here", she said to herself out loud.

"We could get more help from the Western village, but we need someone to pass them the message."

She looked at the centaur, musing. "You are right. Will you go?"

"With all due respect, Your Highness. I am afraid they may not listen to a centaur as much as they would listen to you. There is still some distrust between the people of Narnia." He added with the hint of sadness. Lucy frowned. Yes, she knew about it, indeed. It's been fifteen years after the war and when the first joy of the freedom, warmth and summer became everyday life, it appeared that old anticipations between the races were as deeply hidden in the land, as was the magic itself. It worried her. But there was no time for further discussions.

"Alright. I'll go, then. Please, make sure to get the people here as much help as they need.

She quickly packed herself some food and water for the day and jumped back on the horse. Fern looked after her with devotion, thinking, how wonderful and stunningly beautiful is their queen.

"Long live the Queen!" The citizens of Western Village were as enthusiastic to see her, as she hoped. The children surrounded her with flowers and the leader of the village welcomed her at his house and served a warm meal. Lucy was very grateful for that, the vegetable soup and corn bread were delicious. The village was proud of their huge corn fields and big gardens. Always beautiful weather made everything grow just perfectly. Plus, they didn't have to make supplies for the plants were blooming all over the year. Something of it was almost unnatural, a sudden thought appeared in her head. The trees and the plants around should have time to rest and regenerate. But at that moment she was glad everything went so smoothly and got to the point.

"Your neighbours from the eastern side of the hill need your help. They were attacked by a giant."

"Giants? Here? That low? How come?" The anxious voices surrounded the room and quickly the news was brought out to the streets. As she talked, she noticed how quickly the crowd behind the window was getting bigger. She was afraid how she would manage to control the panic. She went outside.

"You are not in any immediate danger!" She assured them. The villagers were looking at her unsurely. The joy and smiles of the children from an hour before got replaced by whispers and wave of distrust. She needed to do something about it, quickly. She told them how Peter followed the giant to the mountains and it took some effect, but one of the old men stepped forward and said firmly.

"The giants got more bold. They don't like the wild lands of the North anymore."

She blinked. The man was very old and lacked most of his teeth. But he seemed still strong, his eyes were big and he looked at her very intensely.

"People from the mountains say, the giants got hungry. The animals on the North are disappearing and they don't have enough food." He repeated with somewhat disturbing tone of voice. Even the crowd got silent and all listened to him.

"But how? And why? What happened?" She wondered. Was there a new danger they didn't know of? "What do you mean disappeared? Where?"

"Nobody knows", he said. "The white bears, foxes, even the white bunnies. They say more and more of them vanishes. So the giants head South to eat."

"I will find out." She said loudly.

"You can't find it out alone, Your Majesty."

"No, indeed, but I can at least start. However I do need your help. Please, deliver some of your food to the Eastern Village."

"And who will protect us if the giants come?"

"I will send a message to my brother this instant. More troops will come from Cair Paravel. You have my word."

For a few uncomfortable minutes the people were whispering among eachother but finally the leader spoke.

"Alright. We will send help. And we will trust that you keep your word. In the meantime, we will also put guards to watch the northern side day and night. Our people need to sleep safely."

Lucy felt, like an incredibly heavy stone fell off her chest.

"Thank you! So much! I will keep my word. Promise!"

The leader's wife packed her more food and water and she headed back to the camp.


	4. On the North

"On the North"

"Are you sure of it, my queen?" The centaur looked at her with concern. Lucy refrained a sigh.

"I need you here. These people need help. And it will be easier for one human to climb the high mountains than for the group of centaurs. No offence", she added quickly with a hint of guilt. She should have been politer. "I know I can always count on you and I am grateful for that", she added gently. Fern gazet at her devoutly.

"Your wish is my command."

She smiled to him warmly and without further discussion packed her things for the trip. She planned to head West-North, more to the West than her brother followed the giant, hoping she would find some of the talking animals living in the high mountains and they would tell her more about those strange disappearanses in the Wild Lands. The mistery intrigued her and at the same time, made her feel very excited. This was not the quest for an army, it was exactly for someone like her. Who could easily make friends with animals and gain their trust.

She didn't plan to stay there long, wasn't prepared for that. But she thought she had enough warm clothes for the night or two and as the weather was quite gentle even up high, she just packed more food and water, blankets, a rope and left the camp early in the Morning. The wall of ice in her dream wasn't even surprising to her anymore, neither were the dancing foxes. White foxes this time.

As long as it was possibe, she rode on the horse. It took her almost to the point where the woods were getting thinner and the trees got replaced by the low bushes and the rocks became sharper. She ordered the animal to come back to the camp and headed up. The day was as beautiful, as always. The sun was shining so strongly that very quickly it got too hot and she needed to cover her head from the sunburn. Everything there was looking peaceful and innocent. She didn't notice any presence of the giants, in fact, she didn't feel any presence at all. No lizards, no smaller animals. No birds. At first she thought it was due to the giants. It was not a big surprise that the animals were instinctively looking for safer places to raise their young ones. Or, also possible, they were just hiding, not acquainted with sudden trespassers, like her. With this thought she prepared herself for the night. In a little valley she found a perfect rock formation, protecting her from the wind from all around, with a little stream running in the middle. The water was wonderfully refreshing. She ate her dinner, spread one blanket on the ground as her bed, and, covered by the other, stared at the stars.

"The queen is coming!" Little foxes danced in the circle.

"The queen is coming." A white bear approached the foxes and looked at Lucy very seriously. She was standing next to them, with her feet buried in the snow and couldn't keep her eyes off the ice wall in front of her. The ice shone and seemed to float gently on the surface. She wanted to touch it, but then she woke up. To her surprise, she realized she must have been sleeping the entire night and what woke her up was a sunbeam coming directly to her eyes. She stretched and yawned, not fully conscious yet. A sudden ruffling in her food supllies sack drew her attention. Lucy jumped to her feet at once and looked. There was no visible threat, but after a while the ruffling repeated. Her sack with food definitely moved. She found a little wooden stick lying on the ground and poked quite strongly at the spot, where she saw the movement.

"Auch! Stop that!" She heard and to her big surprise a beautiful, fluffy white-silver fox's head appeared in the opening, with her favourite cheese in his mouth.

"And what are you doing here?! So high in the mountains? And stealing my food?" She asked the creature, although in fact she felt like laughing.

"Stealing, stealing! I was hungry!" The fox's voice sounded offended. With a loud 'gulp' it swallowed the last piece of cheese. Lucy grinned and reached her bag.

"Come on, let's have breakfast together, then."

The fox instantly raised the tail and ears and jumped to her. Lucy caressed its puffy fur and took out more cheese and some pieces of smoked fish she still had from the camp. She watched with amusement how quickly her new little friend devoured it.

"So, what brings you here? I thought you guys live a little bit lower?" She asked curiously. The fox stared at her unfinished piece of fish. She laughed and handled it to him.

"Thank you... and who are you exactly?" He asked.

"I am Lucy. Queen Lucy the Valliant", she corrected herself, expecting some signs of impression or admiration from the creature. But the fox didn't look happy. Or impressed at all. "Queen of Narnia?" She precised.

"Yes, I know. Indeed. Well, I will be going now. Thank you for the meal and good day... Your Majesty!"

"Wait!" She grabbed his tail. "Not so fast!" The fox looked nervously around and struggled, but she didn't let go.

"I am not going to harm you. But you need to tell me what is going on! And why are you afraid of me? Please, I just want to talk to you!"

"It's nothing personal", the fox explained, not looking at her.

"So, what's the problem, then?"

"It's just... we do not fancy Narnia much nowadays."

She opened her eyes widely from astonishment.

"Why?"

"It's..." the fox looked very uncomfortable and looked at her apologetically, turning away again. She let go of its tail.

"It's too hot for us." The creature pointed its very thick and beautiful fur. "See, we were used to the snow. It was giving us shelter, and was soft and cool, and clean. We, white foxes, were happy. And then, one day, all the snow melted at once. We lost our homes and the woods were already taken by so many others. So we came here, to the mountains. But it is difficult to find something to eat over here. And there are giants..." He stared at the ground.

Lucy was thrilled and felt very guilty. It never occured to her there were creatures in Narnia who didn't like summer. Who didn't have home after the war. She thought everybody was happy. Suddenly she felt she must have been blind for most of her life. How many of them were also feeling like that, over the years? She felt tears coming to her eyes.

"How can I help you?" She asked softly.

"Thank you, but we don't need any help. Not anymore!" The ears went up as the animal clearly brightened. "We have found a new home. I am heading there now in fact. So, will you excuse me!"

"No!" She stopped him again. Somehow she felt it was very important to learn more from that creature. "Take me with you! I want to see your new home."

"But it is far away."

"I don't care. I can visit you, can't I? You ate my food after all... Please?" She decided to approach the fox from the softer side. The animal didn't look mean and Lucy really wanted to be friends with him. He gazed at her, unsure.

"It is not up to me, really. But you can walk with me if you so insist."

Lucy smiled and quickly packed all her things. The fox still looked distrustful but didn't try to escape anymore.

"So, how far we go?"

"I don't know." He answered. She blinked.

"What do you mean?"

"The shortcut is changing. It can be here; it can be there. We must look and watch carefully."

"I knew it is something magical!" She felt how her heart beat faster. She didn't feel that excited for many years and somehow, she wasn't afraid. Lucy was very sure she could tell if an animal or any other creature was good or bad. At least she strongly believed in it.

"So, what are we supposed to be looking for?" She continued, curiously.

"The snow. Or the wall..."

"...of ice?" She asked silently. Her voice was shaking.

The fox gazed at her and nodded.

"You have seen it, too. Probably that is the reason, we have met."

She followed him in silence after that, looking impatiently around. But there was nothing but rocks, hour after hour, they headed up, the air got much colder and she started to be tired. Definitely it was easier for the fox to climb. She had a big backpack that seemed heavier with every step. Finally, she decided to stop for some rest. The cave that gave them some protection from the wind, was almost on the very top of the line of mountains separating Narnia from The Wild Lands of the North, as they were called. With a sigh of relief Lucy sat, drank some water and ate more bread, fish and cheese. The fox happily helped her in this.

"If it goes on like this, we run out of food." She checked the supplies.

"No, we won't. Look!"

The cave's wall started to change. First, the surface got smooth and then brighter. Much brighter. Lucy gasped. The wall of ice was before her and she definitely wasn't sleeping. Not thinking or hesitating, like in enchantment, Lucy reached out her hand and touched its surface. She felt no resistance, but a chilly air, coming like from an open window. She took one step and vanished in the wall.


	5. On the Other Side of the Ice Wall

"On the other side of the ice-wall"

Lucy couldn't believe her eyes. It was Winter! The ice caves shone around her in the sun like huge crystals, but the ground under her feet was even. She wasn't in the mountains anymore. She turned nervously and saw that the ice-wall was still there. She touched it. It was solid again.

"It opens when you need it, not sooner." Instructed her the fox. She followed him, looking around in amazement.

"It is so beautiful here! What is this place?"

"The Land of the North. The Far North."

"But how? We were... Oh, that's what you meant by shortcut!" Lucy realised the ice-wall must have brought them many miles from the mountains. "But who made this shortcut?" She asked.

"That is not for me to explain." Replied fox mysteriously and then, Lucy froze. A huge, white bear was approaching them and looking at her questioningly. In the first second she squeezed her hand on her dagger, getting ready to protect herself. The last encounter with the white bears she had was during the war. None of them was seen after and everybody assumed they all were on the side of the White Witch. But the fox didn't look alarmed.

"Good day, Asbjørn", he greeted the bear. Lucy breathed. The bear however spoke with quite a sharp and cold tone.

"Why did you bring here a stranger, Sylvester?" He circled Lucy and sniffed her from each side.

"I didn't bring her, she tagged along!" The fox said outraged, in the same way as he had talked about stealing Lucy's food before. She noticed there was no danger there, both animals had sharp tongues, but they seemed to be friends.

"Besides, the gate wouldn't let her through if she didn't belong here already!"

"Sylv! Hold your mouth, will you? That is yet to be seen."

"What do you mean?" She started to have enough of all these mysteries.

"There is a spell, your Highness." Said Sylvester.

"Your Highness? So you are..."

Lucy introduced herself, wondering if she again causes an alarm. But the bear only gazed at her intensely and murmured. "How interesting..."

"So, tell me about the spell! And this place! I was dreaming about the wall of ice for many months now. I have to know!"

"Everything in time, Your Majesty, everything in time... But you must be tired. And hungry. How about you take some rest. Then we'll talk."

She agreed. Asbjørn gestured her to follow him to one of the ice caves. Inside of it there was a big table and chairs covered with soft, woolen fabric, wonderfully warm in touch. Lucy was amazed that in spite of the ice walls, it was really warm in there. Soon, she was served a bowl of hot fish soup with fresh bread and, to her more surprise, a plate with baked potatoes, cabbage and other vegetables she coudn't recognize. Everything was simply delicious and made her feel full of energy.

"How did you get all of this?

"It's a gift from our queen." Explained Asbjørn and faced the door. Lucy straightened herself. Something in his voice made her shiver and her heart beat so fast and loud that she could hear the rush of blood bumping in her ears.

"Who is your..." She didn't finish when the tall figure, dressed all in white, appeared in the entrance.

"I trust my guard took care of you well, little queen", the familiar voice seemed amused. Lucy paled, jumped away from the table and held her dagger before her, pointing at the White Witch.

"How..." She felt like fainting, checked the windows for any possible way of escape and realised there was none. Nevertheless, she would fight to the end, the thoughts rushed through her head before she noticed that both, the bear and the Witch, were laughing.

"I knew it was a good idea to let her eat first." Jadis concluded and ignoring Lucy's dagger, she sat at the other side of the table. Two mugs and a big, steaming pot appeared out of nowhere and Asbjørn poured the hot liquid to them.

"Tea, my dear?" Jadis took one mug to her hand.

"No, thank you." Lucy replied coldly. She wouldn't make Edmund's mistake. The Witch seemed to read her mind.

"Oh, don't worry. It is just tea. Cross my heart. Besides, you ate my food a moment ago, so what difference does it make, really?"

When she didn't react, Jadis rolled her eyes and drank from her cup.

"What do you want from me?" Lucy finally managed to speak. Her throat was completely dry and barely let her make a sound. "Aslan, help me..." she prayed in her thoughts.

"Me? From you?! It is you who entered my kingdom. The second time if I recall. Getting annoying, really. So, it is ME asking questions, little queen. How did you break the spell?" Jadis' voice got lauder with every word. The last question basically made Lucy sit back on the chair. She took a deep breath and tried to compose herself.

"First of all, don't shout at me. Second, I have no idea what I am doing here. The ice-wall brought me to this place. I don't know why."

She noticed how Asbjørn and the witch exchanged looks. To her shock, Jadis face brightened up and she really smiled.

"She is a little spitfire, isn't she? Oh I would have enjoyed you much more than your stupid brother the other day."

"Stop that! You have no right to speak about Edmund in this way!" Lucy had tears in her eyes. She felt so angry that her entire fear was gone. Her cheeks blushed with rage and she again jumped up to her feet. "If you are going to kill me, do it now!"

Jadis laughed. Melodiously laughed, shaking from apparently a great amusement and looking at Lucy with shining eyes, then she stood up and headed to the door.

"Nobody wants to kill you here, little queen," she said unexpectedly calmly.

She left, leaving Lucy with the untouched tea and Asbjørn hesitating, if he should follow her, or rather stay with Lucy.

"That went well." Sylvester sticked his nose from under the table.

"You were here all this time? You nosy..." Asbjørn took him by the tail and pulled up. The fox jumped on the table and ran to the rest of the potatos on Lucy's plate.

"You don't mind, do you?" He finished her meal before she managed to speak. The bear sighed deeply.

"Someone would think, you are not getting enough food over here." He spoke with a bit of offended voice.

Lucy was trembling and looking around as if she expected an attack at any moment. Not letting the knife out of her hand, she slowly walked to the entrance, looking if the bear was going to stop her. But nobody did. The White Witch was nowhere to be seen and Lucy noticed much more of the animals going through the field and among the ice "houses". A herd of goats was led by two big reindeers. They looked at her curiously and passed by without a word. And suddenly, the snow fluffed under her feet and she saw two jumping, white bunnies, with so long fur that it covered their eyes and ears. They looked like two rolling snow balls. All of it would be perfectly adorable if not the presence of the White Witch.

"Will anybody explain me, what I am doing here? And how in the world is she alive?!"

"It's a long story, my queen." Asbjørn said. As she kept staring at him demandingly, he took a deep breath and closed to her. "Well, alright. You should know, after all, since you're here. But you know, this tea really is delicious. There is no trick there. It will make you warmer."

Hesitating, she stepped back inside and took the mug to her hand. He was right. It was a black tea with orange, cinnamon and cloves. And something else, she didn't know what, but it tasted wonderful.

"During the last battle there was such a crowd, noise and chaos that for a long time we didn't really know what happened. Until we heard screaming that our queen was dead. It caused even more chaos. More and more creatures were running through the field and indeed, we felt the queen's magic was gone. But nobody knew, how she died, or who killed her. There were only rumours about King Peter and Aslan, but you know rumours. We were also fighting. Yes, I am not proud of it now. But those times we had only one choice. Fight, or die. Soon, we, the white bears, realised we had lost. I can recall only dead bodies all around and the Narnians looking for those of their enemies who remained, to finish them. Or to take them captive. We didn't want either of that. All we knew was that our world was gone and we wanted to escape. At night, we sneaked out from our hiding place, through the battle field, looking if more of us were maybe also hiding, pretending to be dead, like we did. But there was none. Except of one. I myself, in a certain moment, stepped, as I first thought, on another body. She was covered in blood and her clothes were torn. She wasn't conscious, her magic was obviously gone. We didn't want to leave her there. She might have been cruel to others, but she treated us, the white bears, fairly. Strictly. But fairly. We didn't know another life. We respected her and she deserved some respect in the moment of death. So we brought her as far to the North as we could. We wanted to bury her in the snow, but as we started, we felt a rush of magic coming through her. And then we knew. Our queen was going to survive. She slept for a long time. From the ice and snow we built a little house for her and guarded it, waiting if she ever wakes up. Finally, she did. She was weak at first, but with time her powers were slowly coming back. Since then, she is our queen again. And she is different now."


	6. The Snow Queen

"The Snow Queen"

"What spell she was asking about? I didn't break any." Lucy said, wondering, how much truth was in bear's words. She was still shocked, not sure what to think. But above all, she wanted to know more.

"Yes, you did. There is one rule here. Everyone who can see the wall and comes through, means no harm to us. There is no danger on this side of the wall, the queen protects us."

"Protects? But she..." Lucy remembered some of the methods of this "protection".

"I told you, she is different now. We can leave whenever we want to. You as well. The wall lets out everyone, who needs it as well. That's how you met Sylvester. He went to visit his relatives in the woods. And got lost. As usual. But that's Sylvester. I don't need to go out, so I never went. We have peace here.

"How big is this place?" Lucy looked around, as they slowly walked away from the ice-house and headed towards the empty and flat field, like a frozen lake. More white bunnies were cheerfully rolling in various directions and another white bear was resting nearby, with two young ones, snuggled to him and gently snoring that made the snow move on their fur. As they went further, they again saw more crystal-like ice caves and a family of white foxes having a picnic.

"As big, as she wants to."

"Good Day, Asbjørn. Good Day, Your Majesty. We have heard you have come to visit us. It's such an honor. Would you like a cup of tea?" The White Mother Fox smiled to them.

"Thank you, that is very nice of you." Lucy's curiosity won and she sat among them.

"Forgive me, but I still don't understand. Who made the ice-wall? Her?" Lucy hesitated, not sure how she is supposed to call the White Witch now.

"You mean the queen? No, she did not. It must have been a greater power."

"Aslan! It had to be Aslan!" Lucy cheered up. Of course! Only Aslan could turn the heart of the White Witch and make this beautiful place. She instantly felt better. But the foxes and the bear didn't smile.

"Do not speak this name in the presence of the queen." Asbjørn warned her. Lucy instantly frowned. If they didn't like Aslan there... She put away her tea cup.

"You think we are your enemies. We are not."

"Then how can you reject Aslan?" She watched how the foxes were exchanging confused looks.

"It's not that we do, not really. But the queen... It is more complicated. And we are not in the position to explain it to you. Maybe you should talk directly to the queen?" Said Asbjørn gently. "But I really wouldn't upset her with this name if I were you."

"Why, would she hurt me?"

"No. You would hurt her."

Lucy didn't know what to say. She finished her tea in silence, as nobody really tried to keep the conversation. She felt bad for making the foxes feel uncomfortable in her presence, so she excused herself as soon as it was polite, and walked deeper into the frozen realm. She needed to think. The Sanctuary, as this place was commonly called, was indeed beautiful. A part of her wished she could show it to Susan, and Edmund, and Peter. And Mr Tumnus. Then, she reminded how much they all hated the Winter. Sadness overwhelmed her as she watched more of white bunnies, apparently having something to eat under the snow, for they were digging and sniffing and definitely chewing something. She kneeled and felt the urge to lie in that white softness herself, or to roll in it, like a little girl. But this made her feel even worse. She stared at the bunnies, instead. Wanted to caress them and was about to grab one and put on her laps when something shining on the other side of the field drew her attention. The sun moved lower through those hours and the light revealed a bigger ice-crystal, sticking out of the small hill. Her heart fastened. It must have been the queen's palace. She looked behind, checking where was the gate that brought her there and counted that it was much closer, sort of in the half way between the ice-house where she ate her meal, and the palace itself.

Lucy slowly headed towards the palace. As she walked, the snow revealed more animals, most of them white and fluffy, as if all the Winter creatures came there to seek a peaceful life. The white ferrets chased one another, almost making her trip, some unknown white birds, similar to the pigeons, had their nests in the snow and to her bigger surprise, there was an opening in the ice lake, surrounded by pinguins. Once in a while one of them jumped in, to return with fish. She couldn't refrain a smile and watched them for several minutes.

The palace wasn't really a palace from the shape, as she expected. More like a strange, crystal structure that was apparently a kind of house. The ice blocks were formed into a pyramid, but each side of the pyramid had windows on the upper part, suggesting there must have been a stairs inside. On the front she found something like a terrace, round with a white table and comfortable looking armchairs. There was no throne or anything alike, but one of the armchairs was bigger and ornamented with snow-flakes shaped diamonds. Or it looked like diamonds anyway. The most of the seat was covered by a pile of a white fur. Lucy looked closer and held her breath. It was the fur of a fox, a big one. She could see the legs squeezed together, motionless.

"So much for the change..." She felt tears coming to her eyes. She looked at the little head in the corner of the armchair and caressed the poor creature's tail.

"I am so sor..." She jumped. So did the creature that was apparently just sleeping there.

"Do not touch the tail! Really, always the tail! Would you like everybody touch your tail if you had one? It takes ages to comb it again."

"He's got a point, you know? Although I must admit, sometimes I cannot resist myself."

Queen Jadis was standing at the entrance and before Lucy regained her voice, she closed to them. The fox jumped from the chair directly at the queen, and, still murmuring something that sounded like "always fluffing the tail", surrounded her neck like a collar. She caressed its head.

"Now, now, not the tail. Promise." Jadis smiled as the fox placed himself more comfortably and with the eyes closed, he looked almost like a part of her dress. Lucy stared at it speechless.

"Well, little queen. May I ask again, what brings you here?"

Lucy took a deep breath and tried to not behave like a scared little girl, but what came out from her throat didn't sound self confident either.

"I didn't know about this place. Neither I wanted to intrude. And I..." She broke, reminding the story heard from the bear, but she felt it would be more than inaproppriate to bring it up. Finally, she managed to look at Jadis directly and to her relief she didn't find the queen angry, or laughing. In fact, Jadis gazed at her with the soft smile that made her face looking very gentle and beautiful. Suddenly Lucy understood how Edmund must have felt in the old times.

"You what?" Jadis encouraged her. Lucy decided telling the truth was the only option.

"I have heard stories about vanishing animals. I came to the mountains to investigate and... I guess I have found the answer." She pointed at the field.

Jadis nodded. "They seek shelter here, indeed." She sat in her armchair and gestured at Lucy. "Tell me more."

Hesitating, she followed her and after a while she found herself sitting next to her and talking about their quest and Peter hunting giants, her visit in the village and the rescue mission in the woods. Jadis listened to this without interrupting and with time Lucy felt more at ease.

"Giants are not very bright, to say the least." She finally spoke. "They have good lands in Ettinsmoor, but they prefer hunting. The southern border must be very attractive to them, with so little of the protection. You really should have been more careful."

"We are careful!" Lucy protested. She felt Jadis' voice became patronising at the end and it made her instantly angry. The queen smiled, amused.

"There are four of you leaders now and you cannnot handle the stupid giants? No, I don't think you are careful. I alone was able to keep the entire country safe." There was a hint of pride as she said that. And smiled again, unexpectedly taking Lucy by the hand. She startled. But Jadis let go of her as gently and changed the tone. "I do not want to offend you, little queen. But if Ettinsmoor causes so much trouble that you go to the mountains all alone because most of the narnian guards head to the battle right now, what could happen if there was another attack now, from the South? Or the East?

"Archenland is our friend. So are Calormenes." Mentioning the last one Lucy's voice wasn't so sure anymore. Jadis noticed it instantly.

"Calormenes are nobody's friend. In a certain way we were alike. They knew going in my way would end badly for them. But now? They must think Narnia is an easy target.

"We protected Narnia from you! So can we from the others." Lucy burst. To her frustration Jadis laughed again.

"It was something else, my dear. But I don't want to argue with you. Things are different now. And, although you probably don't welcome my advice, if I were you, and especially dear Peter The Magnificent (Lucy noticed the mocking tone in her voice), I would watch Calormenes closely. But it is getting late. Unless you want to climb the mountains in the dark, you are welcomed to stay here till morning if you wish.

Lucy gasped. "Here? You mean..." Jadis pointed the entry door.

"There's plenty of room in here. And you look cold."

She was getting cold indeed. The setting sun didn't give any warmth anymore and the long sitting made her feel chilly, reminding that her clothes were not made for the Winter, after all. But to stay in the house with the White Witch? It was too much. She hesitated, not knowing what to do.

Jadis rolled her eyes and smirked. "No, I am not going to freeze you. In fact, quite the contrary," she added quietly and went inside.

"She means that, you know?" The fox jumped off Jadis' neck and ran out.


	7. The House of the White Witch

"House of the White Witch"

Lucy followed Jadis. Although looking nervously around and feeling unsure, she couldn't control her curiosity. Long ago Edmund told them about the vast, icy rooms and freezing dungeons of the White Witch's castle. This place was quite the opposite. It looked like made of ice, but there was no cold inside. The first word to describe it would be cozy. And comfortable. And somehow fluffy. There was the stairs inside, indeed, leading to the second floor, and each step was covered with a wool-like fabric. Without a word, Jadis opened one door and pointed the small room that looked like a guest bedroom. Inside of it there was a big bed with the pile of soft pillows and duvets, each embroidered with white and blue flowers. A little, white table and a chair stood next to the window, so the person sitting there could read a book and gaze at the landscape at the same time. On the other side there was a white cupboard, a crystal mirror and another door.

"I will leave you alone now. Have a good night." Jadis spoke the first time since they entered the house. And before Lucy replied, she closed the door, withdrawing to the corridor. Now, when she looked around more closely, she noticed another, little night table, standing by the bed. There was something on it, under the silver cover. To her amazement, Lucy saw a plate filled with pastries, another pot with the hot tea and a cup. With a sigh of deep relief, she finally took off her shoes. She felt a pleasant shiver going through her legs when she stepped on the soft rug. Her joy was complete when she opened another door that appeared to hide the bathroom.

'It must be magic,' she thought. The bathtube was filled with the steaming water, and she smelled a wonderful aroma of flowers. White towels and a soft bathrobe lay next to it. Lucy had a spare set of clothes in her bag, but she couldn't resist trying this one on. 'What if she is bewitching me with all these wonders? It all must be coming from her,' she mused, taking her clothes off. But her body was tired and sore. And cold. The water felt like heaven and she stayed there until she felt completely relaxed and sleepy. 'The animals here seem to love her.' She repeated in her mind, to calm herself down. When she dried herself, for a moment she found it difficult to decide if she should wear the own clothes or one of the soft, night wears she found in the closet. The mirror showed her the reflection of her own, naked body and while drying, she touched her sore muscles and felt her skin hot and her heart beating fast. There was something in that room making Lucy feeling wonderful. And beautiful, like never before. Was that a spell as well? She took a deep breath and unwillingly, put her own clothes on. She couldn't be sure, after all. But why shouldn't she check? If The White... If Jadis, she corrected herself, was hiding something from her, now would be the best time to find that out. Not thinking much, she sneaked out of the bedroom and as quietly as possible, started to open the next door. The first one already made her freeze. It was Jadis' bedroom. The snow and the stars behind the window were giving enough light to see clearly. Jadis was lying in the bed, sleeping. She was half uncovered, dressed only in a light, sleeveless night robe and her naked arms seemed to be almost white. The waves of her gold-like hair spread on the pillow and never before Lucy really noticed how long they were. She stood there, watching her in amazement, her heart was bumping loud, like never before. Jadis was simply stunning. Lucy would have stayed there much longer if a sudden movement didn't startle her. The queen moved. She struggled, as if something tormented her in a nightmare. And then, Lucy almost screamed, seeing how the bed cover moved as well. Two white bunnies sticked their noses from under it and climbed higher to reach Jadis' face. One of them licked her cheek. Lucy stepped back to the corridor, thrilled and embarassed. But at the same time, she felt an overwhelming relief.

"Lucy... Lucy, wake up. It is late." The voice in her dream sounded very close and familiar. Was that Susan? Did she miss some royal audience again? Unconsciously, Lucy protested with "mhmm" and rolled to her other side. "Just a moment!"

"Just a moment was already half an hour ago." The voice was clearly amused and it definitely didn't sound like Susan.

"Come on, little queen. Breakfast is ready."

"Little queen?!" Lucy finally woke up. She jumped on the bed, realising who really was the person standing at the door.

"I never would have thought that waking you up is so difficult", Jadis giggled seeing her confused and embarassed face expression. She was gazing at her with sparkling eyes and a gentle smile. Lucy's cheeks blushed and she looked down.

"I am sorry. I didn't know how late it was."

"Just come down when you are ready", Jadis smiled again and left the room. Lucy breathed with relief.

She felt so ashamed that it took her less than a few minutes to pack her things. She came down ready for travel. Jadis awaited her in the living room.

"Come, you really should eat something before you go. And I need to talk to you."

After the night Lucy wasn't so afraid anymore, but she felt a little bit awkward. After all, she needed to get used to the thought of Jadis not as an enemy but... Lucy was not sure, how was she supposed to think about her now. An ally?

"Before you leave I need your word that you keep the existence of this place, and myself, a secret." Jadis spoke straightforwardly and her eyes seemed to read right through her. Lucy felt her face getting red again.

"I wish I could give you that promise. But how can I hide what I've been through from Susan and my brothers? I am sure if I explain them..."

"They will panic and want to come here with an army. Looking for this place in vain, for they cannot pass the gate. You would cause a chaos to Narnia and they would hunt down all the animals that come in and out of here. Is that what you want?" Jadis' voice got colder. Lucy looked down.

"But if I could bring them with me, so you can talk to them, too..."

"No!" Jadis yelled and stood up. Lucy thought she looked like the White Witch again. Her anger filled the room like an invisible fire and her eyes seemed to be glowing not with sunlight like before, but thunders, ready to hit at any time. "You don't get it, do you? They won't pass the gate. Except of these creatures here, you are the only one who broke the spell."

"But how? Why me?"

"That remains for you to find out."

"Enough! If you want me to keep a secret, I need an answer from you, first! What spell?!" Lucy was also enraged. She won't be put down by her like this. For the next minutes they were looking in one another's eyes, both standing proud, the true queens, testing, which one of them was stronger. But the younger one was blushing and her heart beat so fast that she was almost loosing her breath. Finally, Jadis relaxed. Her anger was gone.

"Only those who don't hate me can find this land. That is the spell." She said stiffly.

Lucy gasped.

"Can I visit you again?" She said that before she even thought, it just slipped out.

"If that is your wish." The queen looked surprised and something on her face softened. She was standing still, watching her with a strange expression. As if she wanted something more, to say or to ask, but it remained unspoken.

"You have my promise."

Another moment of silence had passed. Finally Jadis nodded and said so quietly that it was more like a whisper.

"Go, little queen."

Lucy ran out of the ice-house.

[A/N: A few words about Jadis' appearance. I know she has black hair in all the books. After watching the movies and charismatic Tilda Swinton playing Jadis however, I am not able to imagine her differently as wearing the face and hair of the actress. Tilda is so wonderful in this role! So I hope you will forgive me this small discrepancy. Lucy on the other hand is described according to the books, so in this story they both are blondes. ]


	8. Foxes

"Foxes"

Lucy ran through the barrier, she kept on running down the rocks and not even knowing how, she stopped at the very spot where she previosly had breakfast with Sylvester. Until then, she didn't really feel tired, her heart was bumping fast and loud, but the movement and the rush were hardly the reasons. She sat on the stone for a quick rest and tried to get together with her thoughts. The White Witch alive. Jadis. Alive. In a secret, hidden place. Was it a dream? Would she now wake up in the camp and tell Peter how strange, ridiculous dream she had? And he would tell her not to worry and he would assure her how he, and Edmund, and Susan, also had nightmares about the past. Edmund especially. He would frown and admit he had another one, about the White Witch turning them all into a stone. He would remind his war injuries and his guilt. And then, he would go silent or change the subject.

'I promised her I won't tell.' She reminded herself. Was she going to keep that promise? And if the White Wi... if Jadis was playing with her like she had done with Edmund before? Lucy felt however that somehow things were different now. She didn't feel in danger. Still, her mind refused to believe it. What she was supposed to tell the others now? How could she hide her adventure? 'I cannot lie.' She was whispering inaudibly. 'I cannot lie.'

Lucy needed time to calm down and think, but most of all, to find someone to talk to. But who? And then she smiled. The foxes! She reminded the family of foxes she had met in the woods the other day. She was sure that their "party" was in the very place she just left. 'They will tell me more.' This thought brought a great relief to her confused mind. Yes. Above all, she needed to know more. About the White... about Jadis. Lucy corrected herself.

This time she didn't spend the night in the mountains, neither she met anybody on the way. The excitement gave her so much speed that the sky was still bright when she reached the woods. The villagers kept their word and provided food, blankets and the other kinds of help to their neighbours. Now they welcomed her sincerely, amazed by her quick return. She told them that the animals had apparently escaped to the far North and, according to a Talking Fox she had met, they found their ways to avoid the giants. It was all truth after all.

That night, after she went to bed, she found herself staring at the ceiling for hours and seeing another room in her mind. With the pure, white, icy yet not cold walls. And she seemed to smell a gentle, flowery aroma from the bathtube. A similar perfume-like scent to the one coming from Jadis herself. She took a deep breath and shuddered, realising it must have been another trick of her mind. Yet, no matter how much she tried, whenever she closed her eyes, she could only see Jadis. Jadis sleeping peacefully with two, white bunnies snuggling to her. Jadis carresing the white fox surrounding her neck. "Not the tail! Always fluffing the tail." Lucy couldn't refrain a wide smile at that particular memory. Jadis smiling, or waking her up with a gentle voice. Finally, Lucy feel asleep. This time there was no wall in her dream. The only thing she could remember in the morning was the feeling of softness coming of lying in a white, shining snow.

She woke up well rested and refreshed. Her horse that had previously returned from the mountains by itself (it wasn't one of the Talking Horses, Lucy seldom rode on those) now awaited her and without any problems she hurried back to Peter's camp.

"It's good to see you, my queen," her brother greeted her formally, but after a moment he grinned and hugged her. "I trust your journey was fruitful? You look bright as a beam of sunshine."

"We could definitely use one of those." Lucy smiled back, gazing at the clouded sky. They sat together and talked about the last few days. It appeared, Peter's troops hunted the giant for the entire day and night, until the creature fled towards Ettinsmoor. Nobody saw it anymore and now they wondered how can they secure the border in order to prevent such events from happening again.

"We shall stay here and you ought to come back to the castle," he concluded.

"Shall I return alone? Leaving all the fighters with you? Is that safe?"

Peter rose his eybrow in a surprise. "Are you afraid of any other danger crossing our borders?"

To her frustration, Lucy felt her cheeks blush, realising who must have put these thoughts to her mind. She took a deep breath. "Danger can always come. We should be aware of that. And now, when you are here, Edmund and Susan are visiting Archenland, I want to have my own troops and train with them. Isn't it one of my duties as the queen after all?"

Peter shook his head and refrained a smile. Lucy was so unlike Susan! "Very well," he replied. "You have my allowance. Do as you please."

"Thank you, brother!" She hugged him again.

On the way back she turned to the meadow with a beautiful willow tree she remembered from her last trip. This time she went directly to the familiar hole in the ground and leaned over.

"Hello? Is anybody there? Please, I very much need to speak with you!"

Lucy heard some ruffling inside and a red nose, followed by the rest of the Fox Mother's head sticked out. "Who, what, oh... Queen Lucy! What a surprise!"

"Forgive me this intrusion," she apologised seeing the anxiety she had apparently caused.

"Not at all, Your Majesty, not at all," she tucked two curious, little noses back inside.

"Now, finish your dinner first, than you can play outside," she ordered and stepped before the door, closing them thoroughly behind. Well, the door actually was a big piece of a fallen tree, but it fitted perfectly.

"I was in the mountains," Lucy started. She didn't know how to make sure that she was right about them, so she decided the safest way to find that out would be to ask them if they knew a silver fox named Sylvester. Soon, her question was answered. The Mother Fox looked around carefully, as if she wanted to double check if they are not heard by anyone and looked in Lucy's eyes very long and intensely. And then, she opened the door and showed her to go inside. The hole was a little bit too low for a human, so Lucy had to crawl in. But it was all fine and comfortable when she sat on the floor. The Foxes' house was cozy like the Beavers' home, just smaller. Lucy saw pieces of dry meat and delicious looking, various kinds of cheese on little wooden shelves. Dirty plates were still on the table as the little ones just had finished their eating and big, soft pillows lay on the floor by the fire place - she thought it was definitely a happy house.

"Of course we know Sylvester!" Fox Mother finally said. "But you musn't talk about it out loud. The trees are listening."

Strangely, that warning reminded her another scene, from long ago. Who said that to her? Mr Tumnus! Yes, it was Mr Tumnus. He used to warn her about the trees. But in those times he meant the other trees. Now it was all opposite. She shivered. It all was so strange.

"I know you have found the snow. I can see it in your eyes," she added.

"Please, tell me more," Lucy asked eagerly.

"Well, see, Sylvester is the cater cousing of my husband's brother. His mother lived in the neighbourhood during the Winter Times. She had a truly silver fur, it looked amazing!"

"The queen doesn't want to hear about our aunt, dear. She wants to know about the other queen."

Lucy jumped on her pillow. Fox Father was sitting in the corner and she didn't notice him until now.

"Yes, the queen, of course." The Fox Mother poured a hot water to the tea cup and handled it to Lucy. Who almost dropped it on the floor, holding her breath in waiting.

"Well, we don't know much," she added simply. "She is good now, that's all what matters. We are not holding a grudge you know? Everybody can change."

"But what happened that she did? If she did." Lucy couldn't hide her disappointment.

"You have every right to doubt. But I think you already know the answer. In your heart." Lucy felt the soft touch of the Fox Mother's pawn on her chest. She told them about her time in the Sanctuary and they seemed very excited when she got to the part about staying in Jadis' home for the night.

"Oh, you met the old Tom? He is truly obsessed with his tail, I tell you. A few weeks before, as we were on his Birthday party, he..."

Mother Fox told her about their own trip, how their had a picnic in the middle of the frozen lake and performed a dance that drew even the queen's attention. And how one of her children threw a snow ball directly at Jadis and how she laughed and got persuaded to join them for supper.

"Do you know where is this place exactly?"

"Far North. The farthest you can imagine. Or rather, no one can. She likes the snow."

'There is no doubt in that,' thought Lucy.

But the Foxes didn't tell her much more than sharing stories of their time in the Sanctuary. They were trustful, easygoing and faithful. A little bit like Beavers, or Hedgehogs. They didn't worry about magic or possible danger, taking the world as it was, not thinking about the past or the future. And now, clearly, they were happy and enjoying themselves. She wondered how they got to Jadis's realm. It must have meant they indeed didn't feel any hatred towards the former Narnia queen. Which led to another question. How come Lucy felt this way?

'Why me?' She kept asking herself. Now when she was forced to think about it, she realised that indeed, she never hated Jadis. To be honest, she didn't put a lot of thought to it, either. She met her only briefly, as a little child, was afraid of her, yes, but it was Edmund in danger that time. She simply didn't know enough to hate the White Witch, as you don't really hate the monsters of your childhood nightmares, although you're scared of them. And when you grow up, sometimes you read the fairy tales again and start to wonder, why the monsters were so scary. Or so bad. Or maybe they have not always been bad. Or maybe they can change? In those old times they were all scared of the battle. And then, there were dead bodies all around and she had to run between them with her healing cordial. At that time Lucy didn't have much time to think at all. She was too busy controlling her shaking hands and too scared of the lion telling her to hurry up. But was that enough to lure her to the hidden land? Lucy felt there was more mystery behind it, a mystery that no one could explain to her, but Jadis herself. But she even didn't know how to get there again. Would the gate in the mountains open for her alone, if she would come back there? She couldn't go now and check. And wasn't really sure if she wanted to. She thanked the foxes for their hospitality and decided to give herself more time for any decisions. Not stopping anymore, she rode straight to Cair Paravel.


	9. The Chronicles of Narnia

"The Chronicles of Narnia"

It was so good to be home. As she stepped through the castle's gate, ran through the halls and finally got to her private chamber, finally the exorstion took over her. It was wonderful to refresh herself and to eat dinner in peace. The castle seemed remarkably quiet. Susan and Edmund were in Archenland, so the only company she had there were the guards - fauns and centaurs, and the tree faeries in the garden. They all welcomed her with joy, happy that at least one of the four Kings and Queens was back.

In the evening, Lucy, wrapped in her most comfortable night robe and the warm, white blanket, stood on the castle's highest terrace and for a long time she watched the amazing sunset over the Eastern Sea. It was so peaceful and full of warm colors that her past few days seemed to be like a strange dream. Her eyes often dwelled on the Northern Mountains though and again, a new feeling of longing and axiety caused her heart to beat a little bit faster. There were so many mysteries to be solved, she thought.

The next day, shortly after breakfast, Lucy went to Cair Paravel's library. After the war, when the things calmed down, many of the books and the old manuscripts previously kept hidden from the White Witch, were brought to them. Some were also found in the castle itself, sealed in the dungeons and damaged, but they were still readable. Part of them she already knew. The Chronicles of Narnia. The Prophecy about her, Peter, Edmund and Susan. Hundreds of archives and documents related to Queen Jadis' laws and rules. Prison sentences. Stoning sentences. With trembling hands she opened one of them, although a part of her didn't want to know what exactly Jadis was doing with those, who opposed her. Seeing that there were no tales of tortures, Lucy sighed with relief, but it gave her only a little comfort as apparently Jadis always turned everyone into a stone.

It was almost evening when she felt she couldn't sit there any longer. In a way it was much more exhausting than climbing the mountains. She took some of the parchments upstairs, ordered a dinner to her room and ate it alone, reading intensely. "Her Majesty Queen Jadis of Narnia sentenced, here was the name, to stoning for plotting against the safety of Narnia and The Queen." "Her Majesty Queen Jadis of Narnia banned, there was a name, for disloyalty." "Her Majesty Queen Jadis..." And so on. All these kinds of documents were very alike and each of them was signed by Jadis herself and the chief of her secret police. Lucy stared at the big, ornamented "J" and had it still before her eyes when she went to sleep.

If Lucy hoped to find any proof that Jadis was not always as evil as it was said, she didn't find it. It seemed like in those times Narnia was indeed safe from an outside invasion, but kept under a strict control and most of its inhabitants felt terrored. The young queen stared at the ceiling, feeling confused and disappointed. And lonely. Very lonely. Which was another, strange and unknown experience.

"Only those who don't hate me can enter this land. That is the spell."

Lucy was turning in her sleep. The familiar voice in her head kept on asking questions she couldn't understand, but she had a question herself.

"What do you want from me?"

"I don't. You do."

Lucy woke up. She noticed her duvet was lying on the floor and she was covered in sweat. It was often hot in Narnia but never that much and definitely not in the early morning. She shivered.

But the delicious breakfast on the sunny garden terrace and smiling faces of the cheerful tree fearies brightened up her mood. She listened how they hummed beautiful tunes, ruffling among the flowers and laughed as they made the leaves whirl around her head. Soon, she couldn't resist anymore and took off her shoes to run through the grass, following them.

"Have you heard, have you heard? The Oak saw them kissing! Rose-Nayad with Lily! I know what I saw!"

Lucy laughed as they quarreled, wondering if the couple they were referring to really got together after some fight they had witnessed before.

"All is forgiven! Love forgives everything!"

They giggled. Lucy looked at them curiously.

"Do you think, all can be forgiven?"

Fearies silenced and gazed at her, musing.

"It depends," said one.

"If there is regret, there can be forgiveness" said the other.

"But what if a person did wrong for a very long time? Can such a person change?" Lucy asked again.

"Everybody can change." Faeries answered.

Back in the library, Lucy put aside all the documents about Jadis' times of ruling. She focused on the older ones. As old as possible, so this time her task was much more difficult. She dug through the piles of dust, seeking the most damaged ones, the oldest pieces of the archive, hoping she would find the answers how really Jadis came to Narnia. And about the Great Magic. The one Jadis and Aslan quoted as they settled the fate of Edmund. It was the first time she saw her. Little Lucy, standing near the great Lion, feeling like in a weird dream.

"Why it felt like a dream?" Appeared in her thoughts. She reminded Jadis approaching, her golden hair shone in the sun like Aslan's mane. She was beautiful and frightening, as anger flickered in her eyes like little blisters.

"Aslan let her kill him. Aslan sacrificed himself for Edmund. But he rose again. And he killed her. And now she rose again. Does she want to kill him? Is another was upon us?" As she thought about it, tears filled her eyes. It was all so horrible.

"Something bothers you." Said Mr Tumnus the next day. He watched her with concern as she drank her tea, ate a dilicious pie, as always. But she was also unusually quiet and restless.

Lucy smiled to him. She was in fact prepared for this question. Who could she better share her worries with than her best friend? Yet, she never had a secret before. Now it hanged in the air, like a wall between them and she knew she must find the way to go around it to not destroy this friendship.

"I have so many thoughts and questions lately. There are uncovered mysteries in Narnia that keep hiding from me. And shouldn't I know everything, as the queen?" She asked. It was true. She didn't find what she was looking for in the library and it didn't let her rest.

Mr Tumnus looked directly in her eyes and the first time she felt like turning away. He seemed like seeing through her and it frightened her that he could see the memory of the ice land, like the foxes did. But he only took her gently by the hand.

"What mysteries do you mean?"

"For instance, the history. The very ancient history of Narnia. From before the Winter Times." She avoided to speak of Jadis openly, aware that the tone of her voice would drag Mr Tumnus' attention. He let go of her hand and prepared more tea.

"Nobody really remembers it. And the chronicles were destroyed." He spoke.

"Destroyed? Why?" She was so curious she forgot to be careful.

"Nobody wanted to remember how she came to this land, I suppose. That's what I was told." He glanced at his father's portrait and his fists clenched. Lucy understood very well who he meant by "she" and shivered as the faun's voice instantly changed. It made her feel even worse.

"She wanted me to kidnap you! I almost... Oh, never mind. Forgive me, please. Just, as I remember those days... Thanks to Aslan they are over."

"But I can't stop thinking, how it all started?" She hoped her voice was as calm as she wanted to.

"Is that what bothers you? The White Witch?" Mr Tumnus stood up and closed to her, staring disturbingly at her face. Lucy felt her cheeks turning red and her heart bumping. 'He knows...' she felt increasing panic.

"You have dreams about her, is that it?"

She couldn't deny it.

"I..."

"Oh my queen! You should have said so at once! I knew something troubled you for weeks already!" Mr Tumnus clearly relaxed and she felt she could breathe again. "Your brother has nightmares, too. Though he wouldn't admit it before any of you. But I know. Once I even gave him one of my sleeping potions. The one that..." He looked down and stuttered. "But it really helps, if you don't take more than a few drops!" He took one of little bottles standing on the shelf where he also kept the tea. Finally she managed to smile. The visible relief on her face reassured Mr Tumnus that was the reason she was so uneasy lately and he was even happier that he could help. So the took the potion with the words of gratitude and left his home.


	10. The Hidden Scrolls

"The Hidden Scrolls"

The wall of ice was there again. Lucy stood before its crystallic, smooth surface and tried to look inside. The glass-like structure finally cleared up and the familiar figure appeared to be standing right before it, on the other side.

"What are you looking for, little queen?" She asked.

"I want to know more about you. And about Narnia."

"The castle." Jadis said.

"I have looked in the castle. There is..."

"Not this castle, dear. You need to look in my castle." The white dressed figure smiled to her and disappeared. Lucy woke up.

Of course! Jadis' castle. It was only a ruin now, the ice towers melted, but the halls and dungeons were sealed and abandoned. She knew how they emptied it, taking out everything they could find and the countless treasures were brought to Cair Paravel. But did they find everything? She mused. The very same day she took the horse and rushed through the woods. It was getting late when she crossed the Great River. But now everything was warm and the darkening sky soon revealed the full moon. She was so excited that during the day she barely stopped for eating and if she did, it was more for the horse, to give it some rest.

"Forgive me, my dear friend, " she caressed the animal's head as it hid it in juicy grass that was now growing all around the castle. Lucy almost forced herself to not enter the gate at night, knowing that looking in the dark wouldn't bring her much. She stared at the moon instead and tried to calm down her internal storm of emotions. Finally she fell asleep, but it was a light sleep, the kind after which you don't remember much and wake up as tired as if you didn't sleep at all. Finally the sun rose and with the first beams of light she was ready.

As soon as she went down the stairs she was very grateful to herself for not coming there at night. She almost fell down twice and once a piece of damaged wall crashed behind her as she moved a wrong stone. Every room that could have had something valuable in the past was now empty. Even the coffers or chairs were taken. And Jadis' throne. But she kept on looking. Finally, she entered basically every chamber of the castle, including the ones higher, which didn't have the roof anymore. Not finding anything she unwillingly headed down, to the dungeons. She shivered, imagining her brother being kept there and seeing the old chains attached to the floor or the wall didn't make her feel better.

"Jadis, why?" She whispered. A ruffling in the air made her jump and turn around nervously. She felt something. A presence? Or someone following her? Or could it be...?

"Jadis, help me," she whispered more clearly. The ruffling in the air turned out to be the dust from the ground that was now moving, gathering like in the wind and whirling in one direction. Lucy followed it, feeling like her heart was about to jump out of her chest. She got to another chamber and the whirles calmed down. She checked the bricks before her and felt some of them were loose. Carefully, she removed one and to her surprise, she saw an opening and the sack with manuscripts inside. Slowly, she took it and wrapped in her own cape. She went back up with a relief, being in the dungeons wasn't a pleasant experience after all.

But the day was still bright and she wasn't patient enough to wait with the reading until she gets home. There was much warmer upstairs, especially with the sun coming through the holes and, which was a bit ironic, the sun beam lited exactly the spot where Jadis' throne used to be. Lucy stopped right there. She sat on the floor and opened the first scroll.

The next couple of seconds took her breath away. She wasn't in the castle anymore. The air around her whizzled and for a moment she felt like she got cought in a tornado. She screamed of shock, but then she felt something soft under her feet. She was standing on the grass. Definitely, that was a grass. But another grass. Brighter, fresher, somehow more... young. And then she realised she felt like not herself. She felt angry. So angry and scared as she never was before. The rage was making her shake, yet she stood there uncertainly as that world was without any doubts, a new place to her. Curiosity was the next, overwhelming feeling. There was something going on nearby. The grass looked like boiling, the green bumps appeared everywhere, poping up and from each of them an animal jumped out. This view was fascinating and made her even forget the rage. Finally, there was a crowd of various creatures, gathering around one. This one was bigger and there was something about him that made her anger come back. A great, golden lion stood in the center and spoke loud enough to hear every word.

"Narnia. Narnia. Narnia. Awake."

And then she heard the crowd of all the talking beings over there responding.

"Hail, Aslan. We hear and obey."

"No." The voice in her head screamed painfully. "No. No. Never again." The anger became so great that it hurt her. She was fainting from pain when the next whirl of air overtook her and after another moment of dizziness, Lucy fell on the floor. She curled up, couldn't control the sobbing coming through her body and was lying there alone, crying, for an hour or more, until somebody found her.

"Quick, take her by the legs. By the legs. Oh, be careful! You will rip her arms off! Now, gently. This way."

She was barely awake, yet she felt, something was slowly dragging her along the floor. Once in a while she felt a soft fur touching her face or neck and sometime later it got definitely colder. Lucy wanted to open her eyes, but they appeared to be very heavy. Her tormented mind registered how the cold floor changed into something equally cold, but definitely nicer in touch. Now she was sliding on something wet, but also, it was much easier and faster. Then the sliding turned into rolling down. She fell on something much more soft and felt a pair of strong arms bringing her up and carrying. Losing her consciousness, she thought how wonderfully warm it was. A voice was there, too. It sounded gentle and concerned. And familiar. But Lucy couldn't hear the words anymore.

"What have you done little queen?"


	11. The Great Magic

"The Great Magic"

Lucy woke up and the first thing she saw, was almost blinding light and the white walls around. She was also very comfortable and warm. The wonderful feeling increased when she realized that the smell, which made her instantly thirsty and hungry was coming from the steaming pot of tea and the plate of pastries put on the night table by the bed. At first, she felt like home. The feeling of relief and safety made her body relax and she almost started to fall asleep again. Then she realized. Quickly, she stood up and ingnoring the sourness she felt in her bones, she looked around. The room didn't change much from the first visit. The landscape with the snowy field was now covered in orange and violet light of the setting sun. Lucy reminded what happened, but couldn't recall how she got to the Santuary this time. Everything in her mind was blurry. She opened the door and carefully stepped out. Down the stairs she found her own coat and her bag. The opened scrolls were lying on the table. She stepped closer.

"Don't touch them!" Jadis rushed in and quickly took them away. "Don't you have enough?" She forced her to seat on the chair nearby and before Lucy managed to speak a word, the queen put one hand on her forehead and covered her right cheek with the other. Lucy gasped. She couldn't move, just stared at Jadis' eyes, as she gazed back at her intensely and looked relieved.

"You are amazingly alright, considering what you have done. It's incredible..." She let go of her.

"What have I done?!" Lucy couldn't stand it anymore. "And what I am doing here?"

Jadis smiled. If Lucy thought at first the queen was angry, now she noticed she wasn't. Jadis really seemed relieved.

"You are the first mortal being that could come through my old spell. What's more, you are also the first one who experienced the spell in this way."

Lucy looked at her astonished, feeling confused, but the more awake she was now, the more curiosity was overtaking her. Her mind got clear and she reminded something.

"You told me to look for them! You told me! In my dream!"

The icy blue eyes met her own, darker blue and Lucy again thrilled. Why Jadis had such an effect on her?

"Neither I know, why we seem to visit eachother in dreams, dear. But I would never think the scroll would pull you into my own mind. It should be impossible for someone like you..."

"But it did. And I saw how Narnia was created! I saw... everything!" Lucy stattered as she almost said about Aslan. Jadis frowned.

"I know."

Lucy looked down. Now she understood. She understood not only what she saw, but also what she felt. She knew she had experienced the birth of Narnia through Jadis' eyes, through Jadis' mind. She knew, how the queen felt at that moment. She even could recall some of her memories. And that was the part she desperately wanted to forget. The dizziness started to come back to her.

"You need rest." Jadis helped her to sit on a more comfortable, soft armchair and the food from upstairs reappeared on the table.

After breakfast Lucy felt better and her thoughts cleared up. This time the queen didn't leave her alone. She waited in silence until Lucy finished her tea and ate one of the pastries, although she didn't really feel like eating at all. Finally, Jadis sighed and sat closer, staring at the girl with a strange expression. Lucy didn't know if it was irritation, or apprehension.

"I really was going to let you read them, you know? Your curiosity impressed me. You have a hunger for knowledge and you cannot be satisfied with the stories you were told. In a way, you are like me a long time ago." She smiled. Lucy, who was now strenghtened by the food and feeling more confident thanks to Jadis' gentleness, calmed down and smiled back.

"You helped me to find them, didn't you? I called your name and..."

"Well, that wasn't me. I couldn't leave this realm even if I wanted to. But a long time ago I secured the scrolls so nobody inaproppriate would put the hands on them." Jadis said with a hint of pride. Lucy noticed that the queen liked to brag about her powers a little bit and she felt it was sort of funny. It was almost like Susan telling everyone who would listen that nobody would win with her in the archery tournament. "Anyway," the queen continued. "Only the one who would really want to learn about me, but not to harm me in any way, could break the spell. Now you know." She smiled to her again.

"You must have been very lonely in those days."

As soon as she said that Lucy realised it was inaproppriate. Jadis face got colder. Even if she was right, it was strange to talk in this way to someone, who was destroying entire worlds. But then the corners of Jadis' lips moved slightly up as if she wanted to smile, or to say something ironic, as often. But when she did, her voice was only calm.

"You should stay here till morning."

Lucy was more than happy to hear that. Now when she wasn't afraid of her anymore, she welcomed the chance to spend more time in the winter land. Jadis noticed the change on her face and couldn't refrain a smirk.

"You sure are a curious little queen."

They went to the terrace outside and Jadis wrapped her in a warm coat. As the thick wool closed around her, Lucy grinned. "It's so wonderfully soft! And oh! How lovely!" A white bunny jumped on her laps and tried to hide under the fabric. The other one tried to do the same with the cape of Jadis.

"They can be actually very annoying. Always get under the blanket at night." The queen said, carresing the fluffy head. The bunny didn't seem to be worried by her words as it closed his eyes and started to fall asleep. Lucy refrained a giggle as she very well remembered where she saw them for the first time. Strangely, that memory made her blush. Jadis was looking at her with curiosity mixed with amusement and that made her face burn even more.

"You didn't tell me how I got here this time." Lucy asked to break the silence.

"After our little conversation in the dream, I thought I should send someone to check on you." The queen admitted. "And to my astonishment, Sylvester found you in my castle, with my scrolls, in shock and barely conscious. Bringing you here was the only option." As she spoke, Lucy once more reminded her vision. And then another one came. Lucy saw a red, dark light over an unknown, ruined city. She shivered.

"Charn", she whispered.

"What did you say?!"

Lucy startled. Jadis streightened up on her chair and the bunny escaped and vanished in the snow. The girl managed to control herself and not look down.

"That was the name of your world, wasn't it? I hear it in my head. I feel like everything burns. Inside of me. It hurts when only I think about it..."

"I told you the scrolls are dangerous." The queen replied gentler. "You have got to my memories. Do you realise how old I am? And how old are you? It is a miracle you haven't got insane."

"How old am I?" Lucy thought and suddenly got scared. She had those uncomfortable feelings before, like something in her life was missing, but so far, she used to forget about it after a few minutes. But now, after the visions from the scroll her mind seemed to be unblocking things that were long hidden and now they came our to the surface and overwhelmed her.

"I don't know! I don't know how old I am! And until now I didn't think about that. Jadis, what is going on? Why I don't know? When is my Birthday? When is Susan's Birthday? And Edmund's, and Peter's? We don't celebrate Birthdays, neither we know how old we are. And... Why I don't remember anything from before the war?" She was shouting now, as this empty place in her mind seemed only bigger, the longer she thought about that. At every thought of her childhood, Lucy's mind felt like covered in a mist. Jadis watched her carefully and finally she touched her forehead and caressed her hair.

"You are under a spell, little queen. But not mine. Not mine." She repeated slower and colder. For a while she looked like the old White Witch again, but her anger wasn't directed at Lucy. She stared blankly at the icy space before them. And then she asked. "Indeed. You, a little girl, who, according to the prophecy, came here from another world. The human world. Who were your parents? What were you doing before?"

"I don't know..." Lucy felt a big lump in her throat and could barely speak. "I feel strange. Sometimes it's like the time has stopped. The years pass by, but inside of me... like I am stretched in time and remain a little girl. Yet, I am an adult woman. I am the queen of Narnia now. It's all like heaven. Yet, sometimes it feels like a dream. I feel unreal! I don't understand it. Why don't I remember?"

Jadis cupped her cheek. This touch was so comforting that she stopped shaking. She felt the intense gaze of the blue eyes studying her own.

"My little queen. You don't belong here." Jadis said slowly and clearly. Suddenly Lucy became strangely aware of her every breath, every heart beat. The seconds passed like a clock ticking and she couldn't move.

"What do you mean?" Her throat was completely dry.

"This is not your time. This is not your world." Each word of Jadis stung her like a dagger. "This. Or Narnia. You don't belong here."

"Stop that... that hurts! Stop that!" Lucy struggled and ripped her coat off. The white bunny, sleeping on her laps, jumped out in panic and disappeared. She escaped from the terrace and ran through the snow.

Jadis didn't move. She just sat there, watching the slim silhouette vanishing behind the ice caves and said to herself.

"The big lion gives and takes. Let his name be cursed."


	12. Lucy Remembers

"Lucy remembers"

As if sensing Lucy's internal torment, the weather also got unstable. The wind howled between the icy caves, the snow whirled around, the cold was stinging her ears and slowing her down. But the gate was right there, Lucy could see its smooth surface, waiting. Nobody stopped her as she touched it and to her relief, she came through easily. The other side didn't seem much warmer. Jadis' old castle's walls were as unwelcoming, as before and Lucy realised that she didn't want to come back there. The gate that was now on the wall in the throne chamber didn't disappear yet and Lucy quickly jumped back. If she ever wanted to get some peace back in her life, she couldn't leave now. Not without the answers. Shaking, not only from the rage, but from the cold as well, she hesitated. What in the world she was doing?! There she was again, in the realm of the White Witch, who, so far, treated her kindly, but made everything that Lucy believed in, to collapse. What if Jadis was tricking her after all, all this time? Before she was Lucy The Valliant, the queen of Narnia. Now she was... what was Narnia? The moment of the creation came back. As much as the overwhelming feeling of anger, hatred and fear, coming from Jadis' mind. Jadis, who was ready to destroy the entire world in order to not be overpowered. As Lucy came back to this thought, the image of the red sky and the ruined city reappeared and her knees bent.

"Are you going to leave her there?"

"Ozz, have you been eavesdropping again?" Jadis smirked at the bear's white head appearing behind the terrace's fence.

"What can I say, it was hard to not notice... Well, anyway. She ran to the gate, but she came back here. And the weather got bad."

Jadis sighed.

"Alright, alright, get my sleigh ready."

The images of the red city were mixing with different ones. Another city was now in Lucy's head. A loud, deafening sound was coming from the sky. She saw people running around, screaming and looking up with fear. She saw black monsters in the air, they appeared above them like strange, fat dragons, they dropped something on the ground and flew away. But all the places touched by those falling things, exploded with even louder and more scary sounds. The crying around got deafening. Lucy thought she heard her name. And then Susan's and Peter's and Edmund's. Somebody was calling her. Everybody was hiding in the shelters underground or in the cellars. The monsters were coming back. The noise got unbearable and Lucy suddenly knew. That was a war. A war much worse than the battles in Narnia. And they all were in it. She sat in the snow, shaking. Lucy reminded her childhood.

When Jadis found her, the girl was still in the snow, hiding her face in her hands. She didn't hear the queen coming until Jadis stood right next to her. Lucy straightened up and turned away from her.

"Leave me alone!"

"If you think I am your enemy, why have you come back?" Jadis said sharply.

"I remember everything! We got to this world through the wardrobe, there was a gate like here. I was eight years old. We are here for fifteen years..." Lucy thrilled.

"Calm down." Jadis stepped closer and put her hand on Lucy's shoulder. "It's alright."

Lucy felt the strong arms closing around her in embrace. She didn't oppose, too overwhelmed with her memories. Finally she raised her eyes and looked at Jadis closely. The queen was a head taller than her, yet at that moment there was some kind of similarity between them. Perhaps the memory of the great war and the city torn apart by exploding things, perhaps the loneliness. Or just the golden hair, very much alike in colour, getting tangled together in the wind as they both had them loose.

"Now you are doing everything to catch a cold. And how would you explain it in Cair Paravel?" Jadis spoke partonizingly.

Lucy didn't protest when, taken by the hand, she was led to the queen's sleigh.

"England," She said slowly, as they headed back to the palace. Jadis looked at her inquisitively. "That is the name of my country."

The queen nodded. Lucy felt very weak and her head hurt.

"You have indeed a talent of breaking spells." She felt Jadis' arm around her and leaned on her shoulder. "I can't let you out of here before you calm down."

Distant pictures rushed through Lucy's head and most of them were visions of the attacked London city and the big house in the village when she, Edmund, Peter and Susan were hiding in the wardrobe. Strangely, she felt those pictures unreal now. The longer she thought about them, the more they all seemed like a very old, childhood dream, this kind of dream that you remember vividly just after you wake up, but you forget it an hour later. Jadis knew it. She also knew the other spell was still working and although her scroll broke it enough to give Lucy these visions now, she could tell by the girl's face softening that the hidden memories were fading away again.

Soon Lucy was lying in bed, covered and feeling relieved by the warmth and softness. The queen sat beside her. The girl stared at her with big, wide open eyes, hiding not the fear but a kind of stubborness. Jadis thought they were absolutely wonderful.

"I want to know more. About you."

"Why? Why, Lucy?"

It was the first time Jadis called her by name. That wasn't unnoticed. Lucy wasn't the little one anymore. It was the queen to queen talking now and her confusion got replaced by the rush of self confidence.

"About you and the world you come from. And what changed you. And why, if you were in Narnia from the moment of the creation, you were hiding until that time over a hundred years ago. And why have you decided to take over it. And why are you taking care about me? And..."

"And which question would you like me to answer first?" Jadis interrupted her, laughing softly. Lucy felt like an invisible wall between them, the kind that had nothing to do with the ice gate, wasn't there anymore. "Charn was a cruel world. Not that I am trying to explain myself. But there you could either enslave, or become a slave yourself. Even if you belonged to the royal family." Jadis's voice was soft and distant, as if she was telling someone else's story. "It was a dying world. The red sky was burning, but it was not the kind of fire that gives you warmth. When the sun turns red it means the end of the world. They didn't want to accept it and killed everyone who would reveal the truth. I also killed many and was ready to do anything to not let anybody have power over me. So I turned to dangerous sources. They have tought me how to turn everything into a stone and gave me the power to see beyond the world I was in, so I knew one day I would get out. I froze the city and put myself to sleep hoping one day I would be woken up and get out of there. And I did. You saw what happened next."

Lucy nodded, afraid if she would ask Jadis any more questions now, she wouldn't continue. The queen seemed to be deeply in her mind, staring at Lucy blankly and not really seeing her.

"During the battle I would have killed your brother easily if I wasn't interrupted. Don't look like that, I didn't promise you would like my story, did I? You have to realise, how much all four of you were naive at that time. You think four children were a threat to me? No, you were not. Someone else however was. He returned to destroy me. He comes and goes as he pleases and punishes everyone for not obeying him."

"Don't say that! Aslan is kind, I..." Lucy couldn't stand it anymore. She tensed and sat on the bed.

"Don't speak this name!" Jadis shouted, but then she controlled herself and continued silently. "His name is not to be spoken in my realm. Ever. He has no entrance here."

Lucy sighed. She felt there was no point to try to discuss with Jadis on that matter.

"After your dear lion friend jumped at me (Lucy thrilled at the hatred in her voice), all I knew was I couldn't move and that must have been the end after all. And suddenly I felt something I would never expect. I was looking forward to it. Strange thing, since I always wanted to live forever. I felt curious if, when I die, I would have peace. I waited. But that moment wasn't coming. Then somebody found me. One, then another, and another. You don't want to know what a group of centaurs and fauns is able to do with a woman's body. I couldn't move, or scream, yet still, I couldn't die.

Lucy listened to this completely pale, and her shock must have been visible, because Jadis looked at her much softer. "I warned you wouldn't like this story." She added after a moment of silence.

"Finally I was blessed by loosing the consciousness. Then I woke up in the snow. Surrounded by these furry friends here and it took me a while, but eventually I understood, what happened. "Asbjørn and the others took care of me. When my powers got back, there was only one thing I could do, as, obviously, I couldn't die. I wanted to protect them in return. This is my Sanctuary. I cannot leave this land, but anyone who needs this little shelter, can find it. In fact it was Asbjørn's idea."

Lucy smiled at this thought, promising herself to ask the bear more on the next occasion. In the meanwhile, she gazed at Jadis and her emotions overwhelmed her. That night they talked much longer. Lucy learnt how Jadis created the ice palace and that returning to Narnia through the "shortcut" led always to the same spot where she previously had come from. But although the gate in the Sanctuary was only in the cave, it could appear at any place on the other side, depending on the person's abilities. So, basically, if she only would concentrate enough, she could form the ice wall in her own bedroom. Lucy hoped she would learn it quickly as she was now sure she would be visitting the Sanctuary more often.

In the morning she woke up feeling very tired, but Jadis didn't let her stay.

"I am sure soon enough they start to wonder, why their queen disappears once for so long," she commented as she drove her to the gate. The sun was shining and the wind was gone. The Sanctuary was as peaceful and bright, as Lucy could only dream of. As they approached the wall, she felt regret. They stood still for a while.

"Go, little queen." Jadis said finally, like the last time. Lucy blushed.

"I will visit you again." She whispered.

Jadis nodded.

Lucy jumped through the gate.


	13. Family Reunion

"Family Reunion"

"King Peter! Queen Susan! King Edmund! It is so wonderful to see you all here again. And you must be..."

"This is Prince Corin from Archenland," Susan introduced a young boy with very bright hair, but nicely tanned on the face and grinning happily at them, looking around with amazement. He was about twelve years old and seemed like having the best time in his life.

"You must be Mr Tumnus! I have never seen a faun before!" He stepped out unceremoniously.

"Corin, this is not polite!" Susan wanted to hold him by the shoulder, but he already jumped forward to shake Mr Tumnus' hand. The faun didn't feel offended though, as in Corin's eyes was nothing else but honesty and innocent excitement of the child. He shook his hand the way he used to shake the hand of little Queen Lucy when they first met. The adult queen Lucy, standing next to them, also grinned seeing this. It was very happy moment for them all. After a few weeks of absence, all rulers of Narnia returned to Cair Paravel and couldn't wait to tell the stories of their adventures.

"Corin will stay with us for a few months. King Lune asked me for this personally, saying, his son needs to get to know the world outside of the little Archenland. But honestly, I just think he wanted some peace," Susan explained Lucy on the side, as everybody spread to their rooms, getting ready for the royal supper. Lucy giggled. She didn't need long to notice that Corin was not the easiest child to raise. Always curious, he immediately wanted to get know every corner of the castle, talked to every Narnian he met and it seemed impossible for him to sit in one place for longer than a few minutes.

"In a way he is like me," Lucy laughed, feeling she liked the boy already.

"Come on! I will show you our archery training field. It will be another hour before they serve the food."

"That's great!" Corin replied cheerfully and not asking Susan for permission, he ran out behind Lucy. Susan watched it somewhat relieved (the travel with the little prince truly tired her out) and headed towards the dining room for the long awaited tea.

"Lucy has bloomed like a flower during our absence. Or maybe the long time not seeing each other makes us feel that she looks brighter and simply glowing of joy, even more than ever?" Peter joined her. Susan nodded and smiled at him.

"Indeed, our little sister is all glowing. So full of energy and as enthusiastic about the archery as Corin."

Lucy indeed was enthusiastic about the archery and happy to have someone to share this with. She very much wanted to train much more intensely than she used to with Susan. Her sister could be wonderful in it, but lately she was occupied by so many other things. As for Lucy, she didn't forget the plan she had already on the North and now decided to start working on creating the army of archers. But first of all, she had to master it herself.

"If we are going to practice every day, we need more arrows." She said to Corin, who gazed at her with wide open eyes, as she turned to aim much better than him. To have more freedom in movement, Lucy also put a male shirt and trousers on her, instead of everyday queen's dress and after discovering how wonderfully comfortable that was, she swore to herself always put it on for trainings.

"You are completely different than your sister! She is sometimes so boring!" Corin said on the way back to the castle.

"Oh, really?" She laughed, agreeing with him deep in the heart, but such a direct honesty was disarming.

"I just mean, you shoot so well. And I can talk to you like..." The prince gazed at her almost seriously. "Like to a boy. Or a friend. Can't I?"

"I definitely hope, we are friends" Lucy smiled. "But you better don't tell queen Susan about her being boring, alright?" They both giggled and entered the hall.

"I just knew it, you both look all dirty." As if confirming their previous conversation, Susan shook her head and quite patronizingly ordered them both to go upstairs to wash themselves and change. Peter and Edmund, who were also already at the table, exchanged amused looks. 'It's so good to be home', they seemed to tell without words.

In her bedroom Lucy took off her clothes and quickly stepped in the bathtube filled with water. The water was almost cold as it had obviously been prepared earlier and she felt how much she missed another bathtube in another room, brighter than hers. Her body thrilled and she jumped out and quickly dried herself. She stood before the mirror and partly looked at herself, partly imagined the mirror's glass turning into an ice. It was her favourite spot to practice her secret "ability", as she thought of it. She knew that wandering back and forth to the mountains or to Jadis' castle would sooner or later draw somebody's attention, so the best way to visit the Sanctuary again safely was to learn creating the portal in the one very place where nobody could see her. In her own bedroom. Lucy practiced every evening, so far without success. She wasn't unhappy though, because she also noticed some visible progress. The mirror was so far unpenetrable and didn't reveal anything, but her own reflection. But sometimes it got definitely colder. So cold that the temperature in the entire room dropped and Lucy felt the ice under her fingertips, leaving drops of water on her skin. Perhaps her own stubborness, or the familiar, pretty silhouette, dressed in white, smiling at her in her dreams, reassured her it was only the matter of time and patience to eventually get through.

Still musing, she startled hearing a loud knock on the door.

"Lucy, are you coming?"

"Just a moment!" She thanked herself for locking her room, as Corin already grabbed the handle and tried to open it. Later she will have to have a talk with him about not entering ladies bedrooms, even (or especially!) if it was her bedroom. She reached her only white dress she had in the wardrobe. The dress was the fanciest of her outfits and probably that's why she wore it so rarely (for some reason the white clothes seemed to get dirty moments after Lucy put them on). But this time she simply felt like it. She also brushed her hair and put it up with the silver pin, letting a few of them partly cover her shoulders, and opened the door.

"You look amazing!" Commented Corin.

It was a truly royal feast that evening. The four queens and kings, prince Corin, Mr Tumnus with his family, the Beavers' family, and also many of their closest guards and friends, sat together at the huge table and admired artisticly decorated delicious meals, having been prepared by the royal cooks since the previous day for that occasion.

"Queen Lucy! You are stunning tonight!"

Definitely, Lucy in the white dress, golden haired and simply shining out of joy, made everybody hold the breath in awe. She heard more compliments than ever and even Peter, who would rather tease and laugh at Susan putting so much effort to look always perfect, couldn't deny that this Lucy was somehow different. 'Our little sister has grown up, when did that happen?' He thought with a hint of anxiety. He hoped Lucy wouldn't turn similar to the older sister and he and Edmund wouldn't have to protect them both from the crowd of calormenian admirers.

To bring the attention to other subjects, Lucy asked about Peter's mission on the North.

"The villages were doing great after you left. They are rebuilding houses and it seems they will have some peace again. But the giants are not to be trusted. We have sent letters to Ettinsmoor but haven't got any reply. I fear they are up to something. But how to find out what without crossing the borders?" He frowned.

'I would have an idea, but unfortunately cannot share it with you...,' Lucy mused, thinking she needs to learn to open the portal quickly.

"But you left them guarded, didn't you?"

"Of course, how could I not to? Ettinsmoor is now well watched and our border protected. I don't think we need to worry.

"But the narnian army cannot station there forever!" Protested Edmund, who, as usual, regretted he didn't go to the North himself instead of being bored with Susan and Corin in Archenland.

"Agreed." Lucy interrupted. "As I have already said, we don't have enough guards. We need troops on every border so if they have to stay on the North, I myself will create more here, on the South. You have already said yes," she quickly reminded Peter as he opened his mouth to protest.

"We need archers! Like you!" Corin, who apparently was silent so long only because he really got curious about Peter's news, shouted now loudly, not worrying that he was not supposed to interrupt.

"Corin! This is not your business," started Susan, but Lucy didn't let her finish, occupied with the new idea.

"Susan, the tourney is a perfect occasion to choose the best shooters. And prepare more weapons. Just in case." She added quickly, afraid they will interrupt her.

But they didn't, Peter even silently admitted Lucy had a point, and scolded himself for being a careless king. But how came that it was Lucy who thought about Narnia's defense so thoroughly? Again, his little sister was surprising him. His constant absence seemed to make him more distant from everyday life of his siblings and he felt he didn't want it.

"Little Lucy is a true queen tonight, isn't she?" Edmund whispered to Mr Tumnus sitting on his left. The faun nodded. He felt he didn't like Lucy's white outfit and he couldn't explain, why. She looked more beautiful than ever, yet, he preferred her in her usual, light brown, or blue, or green clothes, in which the queen was his little Lucy again. This whiteness, the golden hair and the crown on her head, it all together made her somehow different. Mr Tumnus was very silent that evening and watched her closely.


	14. Trainings and Preparations

_Trainings and preparations_

"What do you want to do today? Can we practice some more?" Corin asked Lucy at the breakfast table. Susan and Edmund burst into laughter.

"Beware, once you have started, he won't let go of you easily, believe me, I know," joked Edmund, but from the way he ruffled Corin's fringe it was clear he didn't really mind. Lucy also laughed. She liked the company of their new, cheerful friend, it was good to rest from her overwhelming emotions sometimes. The weeks without her family were lonely after all and now, when Cair Paravel was full of laughter, she felt more like home. Susan got another love letter and was reading it out loud. Peter, Edmund and Corin had tears in their eyes from too much laughing.

 _Oh, Suse, my Dearest, greatest_

 _Muse_

 _Thee, whom I desire_

 _Thee, who put my heart on eternal_

 _Fire_

 _I pray at your feet_

 _So you could be my sweet_

 _Goddess of..._ (here were two words Susan couldn't understand, however they disturbingly resembled something like "naked attire").

Lucy had to put away her food and she laughed so hard her stomach hurt.

"Sweet feet! Someone hold me, I am dying of loooove," Corin sang with high, soprano-like voice.

"Oh, great Aslan, how can you allow so bad poetry," sighed Susan, wiping her face with a handkrief.

"I am sure Aslan has a sense of humor," added Peter and took the letter to the hand. Lucy was silent. Lately, the name of Aslan didn't fill her with joy like it used to. In the meantime, her brothers read the letter from Rabadash once more and started discussion regarding the incoming annual Great Tourney, to which, of course, the calormenian aristocracy was also invited.

A busy time started for the Queens and Kings of Narnia. The preparations for the Great Tourney always required lots of work, but this was the tenth one and was expected to be more spectacular than ever. The tourney itself was in the beginning Susan's and Peter's idea. In those days Lucy was still a child and busier running through the woods with fauns and beavers, helping to rebuild Narnia after the Era of Winter. Peter, or rather King Peter the Magnificent, looked for something that would give Narnians not only a joy of freedom, but also a motivation to create art, tools (also weapons) and all kinds of items that could be traded and would make Narnia an independent land, having something to offer to its neighbors. The neighbors were the little Archenland on the West, which, also happy because of the temperature change in the area, very quickly became the best friend of Narnia, the troublesome Ettinsmoor on the North causing lately the constant King's Peter absence, and of course, Calormen on the South. The empire of Calormen reacted at the changes on the North with a great enthusiasm. Already in the first years of their ruling, narnian Kings and Queens received calormenian delegations. They came with many gifts: richly ornamented carpets, fine silk, embroidered with flowers and real jewels, knives, swords and also the most sophisticated spices. After the first one, those delegations became regular, although neither Peter, nor Edmund, Susan or Lucy ever visited Calormen. They were simply too occupied in Narnia. The post-war Narnia had also many goods for a trade - the countless treasures found in the White Witch's castle. Most of them (at least Peter hoped so, for there were many who took the full advantage of the chaos that occurred after the last battle and secretly took some jewels with them) were transported to Cair Paravel and the new Kings and Queens had their hands busy with arranging the exchange some of those goods for the iron, food supplies and everything the land needed after the war.

Apart of rebuilding the country, defense strategies and other military issues, Peter and Edmund were constantly involved in long lasting post-war investigations who fought on the side of the White Witch openly and who was a secret traitor. All the creatures and humans proven as enemies were banned with the sentence to be killed if they ever come back to Narnia, or Archenland for that matter. Little Lucy was kept away from those persecutions. So she didn't know until recently that most of the banned creatures were dwarves, foxes, wolves and white bears. And some village men and women and (particularly) wizards that escaped on ships towards the Seven Islands, which belonged to Narnia only on the map and, in fact it had much more in common with Calormenes.

So the Tourney, commonly called the Archery Tourney, was not only about the archery of course. It was a great festival, with various kinds of martial arts competitions, the Great Horse Race (on regular horses, using Talking Horses was strictly forbidden), fauns and faeries music contests, dance performances, embroidery exhibitions - all kinds of crafts that could be presented or sold. Not only Narnians, but everybody from the neighborhood was welcomed to show their talents. The festival was getting bigger with every year and from merely hundred participants from the first time, it grew to several thousands. Another Queen Susan's idea was the Royal Balls, organized at the beginning and at the end of the tournament, to honor all the guests.

The villagers and fauns were constantly working on the supplies of bows and arrows, the centaurs were famous from their swords, spears and knives. Thanks to this, Narnia had a truly great amount of weapons, although, for fifteen years now, they were using it only for sports.

"I have an idea", Lucy said to Prince Corin as they finished sorting the new delivery of bows, brought to Cair Paravel. "I don't want the archers to train only for the individual target shooting in the tournament. I want to create a new category. A group, the most effective coordinated shooting."

"Like in a real battle?" Corin immediately got interested.

"Something like that," Lucy admitted.

"Great! Will you teach me how to lead an army?"

"An army?" She laughed, but then her amusement got replaced by a disturbing feeling that Narnia really didn't have a proper army anymore. The vast forests and mountains on the South led to a huge desert, separating Narnia from Calormen. They said the desert was deadly to anyone trying to trespass it and therefore the empire's delegations were coming around, over the sea. So they didn't even think about guarding those forests, although the villages were full of gossips about disappearing horses and children being kidnapped by calormenian slave traders. Lucy heard about the slavery still present in the empire and on the Eastern Islands, but "Narnia cannot fix the entire world.", Peter used to tell her.

"First I need to learn it myself," she replied to Corin.

Then the young prince asked a question that made Lucy's heart beat faster.

"My father said he once saw the White Witch passing the mountains. I am so curious how she looked like! He said it was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. How do you think? Was she really so beautiful? You must have seen her too?"

"She is... I mean, she was beautiful," Lucy corrected herself quickly, hoping her voice didn't shake. "But you better not mention her around here," she added. "For Narnia it is still... complicated." As she said it, sadness overwhelmed her and Corin intuitively stopped smiling. "Come on, dinner is waiting!" Lucy broke the subject and rushed the horse back towards the castle. Corin was an intelligent boy and he never repeated that question again.

"You need to work more on the strategy," said Edmund the next day as she shared her idea about the group archery training. Unfortunately, he didn't have much time for her, since Peter asked him for help in dealing with the giants. Again. The guards were sending more and more alarming letters. The villages however remained untouched. Peter repeated it was due to the effective protection, but the centaur, who was the usual messenger mentioned some strange happenings in the mountain woods.

"One of my men swear they saw bears on top of the hills. The bears were throwing rocks at a giant, forcing him to retreat. People in the Eastern Village also said every time before the earth shook, the trees seemed restless. They even claimed some of them moved. They now believe that the forest and the bears protect them and they think it is thanks to queen Lucy, who went to the mountains after the first attack and must have asked them for help."

As Lucy heard that, she used her entire self-control to not show how thrilling were this news for her. That evening she was particularly stubborn in her attempts to create the portal, but to her disappointment, the mirror got only a little bit colder.

But nevertheless, something was up in the mountains. People felt the earth shaking and that wasn't a natural earthquake. They said it was more like the sound of giants marching in groups. Or training. Peter was worried. Edmund was worried. And Susan was frustrated because the organization of the tourney was therefore mostly on her shoulders. So she demanded Lucy's and Corin's help, to the despair of the last one. He dreamt about going on a quest with Peter and seeing a real giant.

"I need to talk to her." Lucy repeated to herself, sitting before the mirror and concentrating. Slowly, something like a plan, or more like a dream emerged in her mind, growing with more details every day. Lucy imagined, how she would thank Jadis for sending the help to the Ettinsmoor border and how she would talk her around and everybody would finally know, who protected Narnia and who, from the biggest enemy, now turned into the greatest friend. And then Susan could also be invited to the Sanctuary. And eventually even her brothers and Mr. Tumnus would forgive her and everybody would be friends and...

"Lucy, Lucy! Are you there?"

It was Corin's voice. She refrained a sigh. The mirror was as transparent and reflecting her own face, as always.

"The ships are coming!"

The ships! Of course! She almost forgot about them. Normally it not necessarily had to be the queen or king to welcome a new vessel in port, but these two were made especially for them - a gift from the Barons of the Seven Islands for Narnian rulers. Many of the islanders were also not so fond of the Winter before. It was said, those ships were the fastest and safest ever made and even the calormenian fleet couldn't compare. Lucy and Susan had to welcome them and, according to the old customs, give them names.

"Finally! Where have you been?" Susan welcomed her impatiently between the bows and smiles at the all "Long Live Queen Susan!" "Long Live Queen Lucy!" cheers.

The two beautiful ships were indeed slowly approaching the dock. The welcoming line of boats lit with torches and candles created a shining line on the water, there was music and dancing on the pier and it all looked like a little festival already. It seemed like Narnians were taking the full advantage of every occasion for celebration. They had a great need to make up for all the years when public parties were forbidden and slowly the phrase "Free Narnia!" started to apply to everything, including (or especially) drinking huge amounts of wine.

That night in haven was indeed magical. The two vessels finally docked. They were decorated with flowers, looked as shiny and new as if they hadn't just sailed their first miles. The sailors with their captains on the front stood in line before the queens. Susan, as the older one, approached the first one.

"I name this ship Splendor Hyaline. May Aslan bless her."

Lucy had a few ideas about the name before, but now the only thought she had in her mind was how beautifully the light of the candles and torches reflected in the water and how much brighter would be now the moon and the stars reflecting in the ice field in the Sanctuary. She took a deep breath.

"I name this ship Splendor Starlight..." she said slowly and clearly to everybody's delight.

After the ceremony they sat at the long table, among all the noble guests. Enthusiastic and excited Corin took place between the two captains and seemed to be the happiest boy in the world, asking them hundreds of questions.

"Finally we have some peace" commented Lucy. She didn't mind the boy's company, in the evenings however she would rather be left alone.

"He is very fond of you", agreed Susan and giggled. "It's a shame he is not a few years older."

"Susan!" Lucy protested, slightly irritated. Sometimes she thought the possible love affairs were everything her sister was thinking about. To change the topic, she also giggled and asked. "Speaking of love, how is your favorite poet?"

It was a good idea. Susan laughed and quoted her the two of her next letters, in which she was compared to the night sky and a black, wild horse the prince Rabadash wished to ride on. The last one made Lucy almost choke over her cake. But under the amusement and making fun of Rabadash's bad writing Lucy noticed Susan did enjoy his attention after all. It must have flattered her to be so desired and cherished. Those feelings were unknown to Lucy. She dreamt about friendship and having everyone she cared about, beside her. She stared at the ocean and her thoughts wondered to the icy silhouette constantly present in her dreams. "I was in her mind. I knew, I know how she felt. Is she my friend? Did the spell make us friends?"

"What's the matter, little sis?"

Occupied Lucy didn't notice Susan watching her for some time already.

"Nothing." She sat more straight and smiled.

Susan gazed at her inquisitively. "I know this expression. You are thinking of someone. You are!" She shouted triumphantly, watching how Lucy's cheeks reddened and how she nervously grabbed the glass of wine and took a big sip. Susan was very intuitive when it came to the emotions of others. Especially her family. She was also the first one to notice the subtle changes in Lucy's behavior. The change of hair style, the white, silver or lightly blue dresses on the parties, the shining eyes and somewhat different smile. There was something going on in her "little sister's" life and she was dying to find out, what.

"Come on. You can tell me." She nagged.

"I don't know what you mean. I was just thinking about all the friends I have, that's all." She said it with such a certainty that Susan nodded.

"But if a friend makes you nonstop thinking about him, so much that you can't really focus on anything else, no matter what you do, if your mind is always occupied with this one person, is it just a friendship? "

"Is Rabadash occupying you in this way? Lucy asked, sensing her sister equally well.

"I don't know... yet. I guess I will when I see him on the tournament." Susan also drank more wine and this time it was Lucy who noticed quite clearly, how her older sister blushed.

"I need to see her." After that supper Lucy was thinking of what Susan said. The more she wondered, the more she realized she indeed was thinking about Jadis constantly. She missed her more than she was willing to admit. That night the mirror opened.


	15. A New Wardrobe

"The New Wardrobe"

At the first moment of joy Lucy wanted to jump and shout something like "hooray!" Then she nervously looked around and checked if her room was properly locked. It was. Thanks to Corin, she got used to always lock the door as soon as she entered her bedroom and was now very grateful for that. Now she wondered. What if somebody would knock and wouldn't get any response, although the door was locked from inside? That would bring a lot of questions. Unwillingly, she decided she must leave the door open before entering the portal. Then if Corin or Susan would enter her room and find it empty, they would just assume she must have left. But then, what if somebody would be in the room in the moment of her return? Jadis explained her that nobody could see the portal, but seeing Lucy appearing out of nowhere would be equally strange. She stared at now shimmering, icy mirror, hesitating and feeling the increasing panic that the portal vanishes if unused too long. Then her eyes went to the big wardrobe in the corner and she smiled. That's it! The heavy, wooden wardrobe was big enough to hide five mirrors as big as that one and the thought of coming through a wardrobe to another world was evoking very warm feelings in her. She thought even if somebody would come to her room in the moment of her return, she would have enough time to jump back. A few minutes later she came through.

"Good Evening, Queen Lucy", Asbjørn' greeted her a moment after she crossed the gate. "What brings you here at this time?"

At first she smiled at him happily, but later the embarrassment overwhelmed her as she realized that indeed, it wasn't a proper time for a visit anywhere. Must have been after Midnight! What was she thinking?

"Forgive me," she started and took a step back. "I was merely testing the passage; I didn't mean to bother you at night." She reminded that Asbjørn was the guard over there and he was apparently watching the cave when she appeared.

"You are always welcomed here," he said with a friendly voice. "But the queen must be sleeping. Or should I wake her up?"

"No, no, of course, not!" She started a little bit too loud. Of course the queen must have been sleeping at this time, she criticized herself trying to control her disappointment. How silly it was to not wait till morning and jump through just because she was so excited about creating the gate?

"But since you are here, would you perhaps like to have a little walk with me? It is a bit boring here sometimes," the bear admitted, looking around the silent, icy fields.

"I'd be delighted!" Lucy brightened up, relieved.

They headed down and Lucy kept herself very closely to the bear's soft fur that was giving her a wonderful warmth. Asbjørn understood her emotions better than she suspected. His eyes sparkled with amusement as he gazed at the girl, who was looking impatiently at the distant shape of Jadis' palace every time when she thought he didn't see it.

"If I may ask... Why she can't leave this land?" Lucy didn't manage to hide her curiosity anymore. The bear also turned in the direction of the pyramid-like house.

"In the beginning, everything here was not really about her leaving. More about not letting anybody in."

"I don't understand..."

"See, our queen is really powerful. As soon as she regained her strength, she created the barrier between this place and the rest of the world."

"So she could leave if she wanted to?"

"Well, not exactly. After she created the barrier, someone appeared. Yes, it was Aslan," he added, seeing Lucy's eyes widening in growing amazement turning into anxiety. "Not appeared directly, to be precise. The ice gate appeared in the cave, as it is now. Right in front of our queen passing by. And he was behind it, so she could see him and hear him well, but he couldn't come through. The queen's spell didn't let him.

"So..." Lucy held her breath. "She could make the barrier even from him?"

"Especially from him!" The bear growled. "There, by the cave, the pact was made. Aslan was angry for not letting him in and he made it so that she can't go out. Ever. Then he separated this land from the rest of the world. From that moment on, Queen Jadis' land is not a part of the Wild Lands of the North anymore. It is a separate world itself. But the gate is locked only for her. Not for us."

"So she is a prisoner in this world..."

"I didn't hear her complain. And she can expand it as much as she wants to.

"But the spell... How come Aslan cannot go in? It's Aslan..."

"See, my queen, this is the part that will tell you, why we don't worship Aslan over here. Do you remember how the spell works?"

"Only those who don't hate her can enter," she whispered.

The bear nodded. "Anyway," he cleared his throat. "You must be cold here," he commented watching Lucy clenching her arms together. "You really should dress warmer in this land."

"He is right; you know?" The familiar voice behind them sounded amused.

Lucy jumped. Jadis approached them so unexpectedly, as if she appeared from nowhere. In the light of the stars her dress was as shining as the snow. Lucy couldn't control a wide smile brightening up her face and she didn't know what to say, suddenly feeling again like a little girl. But it took her only a couple of seconds to straighten up and compose herself. 'I am no less a queen,' she thought, as she raised her head and looked directly in Jadis's eyes. Which were gazing at her no less intensely, bright and glowing. Asbjørn coughed discreetly.

"Well, it is time for the old bear to take some rest. Good Night, Your Majesties." And he walked away before any of them replied.

"I was..." Lucy started and hesitated. She wanted to explain herself like she did before Asbjørn, but Jadis didn't let her finish.

"You thought you can sneak here unnoticed? I can sense the gate opening. Especially if it is you." She said lightly and embraced her with one arm.

A soft, white cape surrounded Lucy and she shivered from the sudden wonderful warmth overwhelming her both from out and inside. She could hear her own heart bumping fast and loud.

"Actually I wanted to say thank you." Lucy answered equally brightly. Finally, she reminded what she wanted to say and it gave her a rush of self-confidence.

"For what?" Jadis asked curiously, sounding both surprised and amused.

"For the help in the woods. With the giants." Lucy added, seeing the queen raising her eyebrow in question. "I have heard about the bears. And the trees." She continued, seeing to her delight, how Jadis' lips corners slightly moved up.

"I don't know what you are talking about. But if my bears were so bored that they went to look for some action... it would be cruel to deny them that."

Something in her voice made Lucy think that not only bears were bored over there.

"I wanted to ask for more of your help." She said quickly and instantly got scared of her own boldness. Was it really a good idea? But Jadis stared at her astonished and there was no going back anymore.

Before they reached the palace, Lucy told her about the incoming tournament and her archery ideas. She also mentioned the two new ships and the baptism Susan and her performed. Jadis listened to all this with a growing interest, smiling and hardly interrupting and finally Lucy ended up even talking about Corin and Susan's love letters. At that Jadis laughed loudly and long and Lucy joined her. Somehow all those so well-known phrases were again ten times more hilarious.

"Even I got a love letter from a Calormene one day. It was at the very beginning of my times as the queen of Narnia, over a hundred years ago. If you find comparing your sister to a horse ridiculous, I think you shall love that one."

"Oh please, tell me!" Lucy begged, shaking from laughter.

"I don't remember the entire letter, but he wrote something about a cold fish to find a rhyme to "wish you were mine".

Lucy laughed so hard she had to stop walking.

"Did you reply to him?"

"I did," Jadis admitted.

"Really?! What did you write?"

"Well, I didn't exactly write. I turned the messenger into a stone and sent the pieces back to his homeland.

"Oh..." Lucy stopped laughing. For the next minutes they walked in silence.

"How do you feel, Little Queen?" Jadis asked finally. Lucy wasn't sure what to say to that.

"I am fine." She hesitated.

Jadis shook her head.

"The last time you were here my spell almost killed you. How much do you remember?

The white hand touched Lucy's forehead as if checking the girl's fever. Lucy's body thrilled at this touch.

"I feel your magic again," she whispered. She covered Jadis' hand with her own and something in her didn't want to let it go. The queen didn't oppose. She took a step closer and gently embraced her shoulders. Lucy felt the visions from the scrolls coming back. But this time she was only an observer, not feeling pain. "What happened later?" She asked, shivering from the queen's embrace. She wanted to cling to her and it took her entire strength to stay still. The feeling of magic surrounding her was overwhelming.

"Later after what?" Jadis whispered as well.

"After everything was created. What did you do?"

Jadis took the hand away and stepped back.

"I ran away." The queen didn't look at her. Was she ashamed? Lucy controlled the urge to step closer again. "I was a prisoner of a strange, new world, ruled by a creature I despised. Nothing that happened later is a story I want to talk about." Her voice got sharp.

Lucy sighed. The magic was gone, she thought after every time when Jadis seemed to open up a little bit more, she seemed to regret it a moment later. But she didn't want to let it go so easily.

"Then why did you let me find the scrolls?" She asked, observing the queen twitching her lips in irritation.

"Frankly speaking I just very much wanted them back." Jadis replied stiffly. "And you were the perfect person to bring them to me... I couldn't ask Sylvester for the favor, could I? Now, don't look like that." Jadis's softened again, seeing Lucy tensing and looking away. "You said yourself you wanted to learn about Narnia. Isn't the creation of the world a perfect start?"

"It is," Lucy admitted after long hesitation, too curious to argue. "But there are other things I want to know, too. Why? Why did you come back over one hundred years ago? Why didn't you take over Narnia before?

"Oh, I wanted to. But I needed to wait."

"For what?" Lucy insisted.

Jadis turned back to her and the irritation in her voice turned to anger.

"What do you think? I thought you are clever enough to figure it out. I needed to get more power!" She burst. "To not let your beloved Aslan enslave me!"

"Aslan wouldn't enslave anybody! He is just!" Lucy shouted back.

Jadis was glowing with fury. "He divided this world long ago. Turned these talking creatures into walking idiots that would never grow smart enough to question him. Once in a while he needed a king, or a queen, so just took random children out of their worlds to make them fight his battles and rule for him, in his name. Everybody must love him. Only, nobody asks, what the great lion does to those, who refuse."

"Stop that... It is not truth. Stop that..." Lucy started to cry. Jadis stopped indeed. She walked to her and before Lucy managed to speak more, she felt the strong arms closing around her. She hid her face on the queen's chest.

"Poor child. This is too much for you."

"There must be a way. There must be a way to convince... Things are different now. Aren't they?" Lucy kept asking, looking desperately for comfort. Where was she right now and what she was doing? What if Aslan would appear on the other side and asked for her? Lucy sobbed.

"Hush." She felt the soft hand stroking her hair. "Dear Lucy, there are things I cannot tell you, not now at least. But I can still help and teach you how to get stronger, if you want me to. Just don't ask me about the lion anymore. Alright?" Jadis gently caressed her cheek.

"Alright." Lucy raised her head to look at the queen. There was a stubbornness in her now, in the way she pulled up her chin and stood more firmly, leaning her hands on Jadis' shoulders. "But the next time you want something from the other side, you can just ask me. No more riddles. Alright?"

For a moment Jadis looked surprised. And then she smiled and nodded. Lucy relaxed and felt the strange warmth coming back. How could it be that hearing those terrible things, she felt so good around her?


	16. The First Training

"Where is queen Lucy?"

"I haven't seen her; didn't she go to sleep?"

"I checked, nobody was there."

"Corin, stop following Lucy around and help me with these guest lists."

"Yes, queen Susan..."

The next night Lucy found a beautiful, thick cape lying next to the gate. Nicely folded, it revealed a piece of paper and words written with the familiar handwriting. "In case you need it again." Lucy quickly put it on, inhaling the very subtle perfume, the same one she felt in the queen's house. It was an early evening this time, she left Susan and Corin shortly after supper, excusing herself with an increasing headache. This little lie let her avoid the evening training with Corin, but, she thought with concern that soon she would have to come up with something better than that. Or to find another time for the Sanctuary.

"You really should be more careful. They will notice your absence," Jadis confirmed her worries, gazing at her over her tea cup. They were sitting in her "living room", if that was an appropriate word for the biggest room in Jadis' home. Lucy made sure the walls around them were really not made of ice (or it was a magic ice, Lucy didn't know that) for they were not cold when touched. In the house it was actually very warm, although she couldn't see any fire place. She looked at the queen, trying to guess what Jadis could have been thinking. After their last meeting Lucy had hundreds things to ask her, but as soon as she got to the palace, Jadis announced her with a firm tone that the matters spoken last night were over for the time being. And didn't ask her anything herself, except of "how is the preparation going?" Or "is Corin bothering you a lot?" Lucy wondered, what kind of question she could come up with herself, to not bring up something inappropriate.

"You really make all the food here by yourself?"

From Jadis sparkling eyes and clearly suppressed smile Lucy realized that must have sounded very childish.

"I do. Anything you feel like?" She chuckled. Lucy forgot the embarrassment.

"I like sweets." She confessed. Her cheeks reddened under Jadis' gaze, but the queen seemed to be no less enjoying this as Lucy herself. Again she thought it must have been very lonely over there. "Just not Turkish Delight, I don't like it," she added without thinking. Edmund's story about the enchanted sweets was freshly present in her mind after her brother secretly admitted he still missed them. And told her he would kill anybody who would tell that fact to Peter.

"Thank heavens for that!" Jadis laughed. "I don't understand how anybody can like it."

"Edmund does." Lucy added and opened her eyes widely at the beautiful, silver bowl filled with chocolate pudding covered with fruits. It evoked distant memories of her early childhood, more feelings than memories in fact and then Lucy realized that both, the Turkish Delight and this pudding didn't belong to Narnia's world.

"I know." Jadis stopped smiling. As soon as Lucy finished her dessert, she stood up. "You wanted my help with your trainings. How about we start, then?"

She gestured Lucy to follow her to the field. When they got to the middle of it, Lucy gasped. Before her eyes she saw a miniature version of Narnia. It was like a map, but sculptured in the snow, so precisely that she could recognize Cair Paravel, Mr. Tumnus' house, or the two villages by the Ettinsmoor border. As she stared at it, breathless, Jadis did something even more amazing. The entire "map" rose from the ground, turned towards them, floating in the air, like a huge picture. Jadis was controlling its movement with her left hand and touched the fragment with the Cair Paravel with the right. The fragment separated itself from the rest, flew a bit closer to them and grew, showing more details and eventually completely outgrew the first "map".

"It's amazing! How it... You can see what's on the other side of the gate?"

Lucy asked as her imagination showed her Jadis watching each corner of Narnia at any time she wanted, including her room in Cair Paravel and her heart beat faster at that thought.

"Not really," the queen smiled to her. "I am merely recreating the shapes as I remember them. It can be useful if you want to work on your strategy plans."

"It is wonderful!" Lucy admitted.

"Alright. Then, look here. The line between my old castle and Archenland. It's all woods and mountains, I bet none of you haven't explored those parts yet, have you? It's those mountains that should have watch towers with the eyes both, on the wild lands and on Archenland itself. At least I had. Going more to the South, Archenland..." Jadis took Lucy by the hand and directed her finger at Anvard, Corin's home. Lucy thrilled, both, under the impression of the picture growing under her hand and revealing details of the castle, and Jadis standing now very closely and embracing her, to keep her hand still. Lucy felt so warm that she wondered how the snow didn't melt.

"But we do trust Archenland," she commented.

"I know," Jadis nodded. "I don't doubt their friendship, King Lune's ancestors were basically one country with Narnia since I remember. It's not his intentions I doubt, but his defense. He has none. Living happily under your protection. Considering the strategic position of his land, it is very irresponsible.

"You really think Calormenes are our enemy?"

"They are not to be trusted. You can tell it your sister."

"I have." Lucy mused. She reminded Susan enjoying Rabadash's attention much more than she used to a couple of weeks ago.

"On this tournament," Jadis started again, turning Lucy from the map so they were facing each other now, one looking down, the other bringing her chin slightly up so they could almost touch each other's lips, "watch this Rabadash closely. Get to know him. And don't be fooled by his sweet words. Calormenes are good liars." She let go of her. Lucy took a deep breath and nodded.

"I am not afraid about being fooled myself. But my sister..."

"You have to watch her as well. If you find some time between your trainings." The queen's voice got merry, as she grabbed her hand and led Lucy deeper into the icy field. Soon they got to the line of round, wooden targets. A great supply of bows and quivers filled with arrows lay in the snow. They even had the engraved symbols of Narnia.

"They are exactly like the ones brought to Cair Paravel! How did you do it?"

Lucy took one bow to the hand and couldn't resist from trying it out. Jadis smiled modestly, but her eyes sparkled with pride.

"I sent one of my foxes to get some examples. In case you may one day want to use them on the other side, they shouldn't differ. My, my, you are not bad!" Jadis added watching with pleasure how the bunch of arrows landed in the middle of one of the targets. Lucy ran to pick them up and came back grinning happily. In the meantime, the sky got completely dark and although the snow gave them quite enough light to see clearly, after a few more shots they put everything away.

"You should rather practice at dawn. If you like, come here day after tomorrow at four or five in the morning. It will be a lot safer than sneaking out of the castle after dinner," she smiled to her and Lucy couldn't deny Jadis was right.

"But won't I cause an inconvenience for you?" Lucy asked as they approached the portal.

"On the contrary." Jadis giggled in very charming way. "I like the idea of you waking me up."

Lucy couldn't refrain a blush.

"Good night, then," she hesitated.

"Good night, little queen." Jadis took the cape from Lucy's shoulders and folded it again in the cave. She watched the girl as long as she vanished completely in the ice wall. Then she slowly turned back and looked at the double trace in the snow.

"Sweet dreams, Lucy," she whispered and headed back to the palace.


	17. Snow Dance

_Snow Dance_

"Can we practice the archery tonight? Pleeeease..." Corin insisted over his dessert. Lucy smiled to him, feeling in fact relieved. The new schedule for her "additional trainings" was perfect.

"You better hurry up with this cake, it's hard to shoot in the dark," she patted his shoulder. Susan yawned discreetly and also stood up.

"It makes me tired just looking at you two. How can you have the strength to train after the entire day?"

"Now, you have quite a strength when it comes to dancing on the ball the entire night," Lucy teased her.

Susan giggled and silently admitted her sister was right. She watched them getting ready for the training and thought sometimes it was like she had no sister, but three brothers (or four, if we count Corin) instead. Lucy was much more eager to choose a proper set of arrows with their new family member from Archenland than a set of jewelry with Susan. Not that the last one didn't enjoy the archery. The shooting itself however was bringing painful memories related with the past war and she didn't find joy in those trainings anymore. Not to mention the other matters occupying her a lot those days. Maybe it was good that Lucy didn't compete with her in those "women games" after all, as Peter called it. When she recalled her younger sister in the white dress, she felt Lucy could outshine her easily if she only wanted to.

But Lucy didn't. She ran with Corin to the field and with no less pride she presented the young prince her skills, repeating what she had practiced on the ice field the previous night. Discovering on that occasion that it was much easier to train in the colder air. After ten minutes she was covered in sweat. The summer was extremely hot this year, even in the night time. But it felt good to move and to hide her fears by tiring out her body and later that evening, she felt much better. She spent some time checking her clothes, choosing the most appropriate outfit for the early morning and her blood seemed to run faster through her veins at that thought. She wasn't worried about oversleeping. The birds started their loud chirping at about three thirty in those months and they woke her up every time through an open window. Usually she would close it and go back to sleep, but now it turned out to be very useful.

She didn't need the birds, though. Feeling so anxious and excited, she barely could sleep at all, just stared at the ceiling for hours and when eventually her body managed to relax, it felt like after ten minutes she was awake again. Ignoring her incoming headache, she put the clothes on, quickly braided her hair and entered the wardrobe.

This time she didn't meet Asbjørn. She looked around, wrapped herself in the warm cape and left the cave. The white fields were perfectly silent, bathed in the colors of the slowly brightening sky. There was no sun yet, but everything on the Eastern side was violet and pink turning into more and more of orange, reflecting on the ice. She thought it was stunningly beautiful. She ran down the path and after a short time she stood at the palace' entry door. 'Should I really wake her up?' she hesitated, but the door was open and, as quietly as possible, Lucy climbed the stairs.

The silence was so intense that her footsteps seemed somehow violent, disturbing that perfect peace of this strange ice-crystal house, white and bright, cold and warm at the same time. There was magic there, it filled the air and made Lucy's skin shiver, yet it felt safe and cozy, the magic belonged there and welcomed her, as she reached the first floor and there it was. The bedroom door was slightly opened and she slipped in, shyly and quietly and her eyes searched for the silhouette in the bed.

Jadis was there, indeed. She was shivering like in an attack of fever and her arms and legs twisted under the white, thick duvet, in a fight with an invisible enemy, a nightmare maybe that made the queen struggle and sweat in exhaustion, or pain. She breathed heavily and whispered something, with barely audible voice - a voice of someone, who was screaming too long and who couldn't even do that anymore, so just opened her mouth, for the last time.

Lucy jumped to her and grabbed the white shoulders, seeing now clearly the terror on that bright face, and it startled her. Jadis was in torment.

"Wake up! Please, wake up!" Lucy shouted, shook her and jumped back, scared herself, for that invisible terror's intensity was like a presence of something powerful and familiar. Yet unknown and therefore confusing and more frightening. She kept looking around, as if that invisible attacker was just about to appear from the shadow. Yet nothing happened. She grabbed the queen firmly by the shoulders and waited. Slowly, the shivering calmed down. Jadis woke up.

"Good Morning, Little Queen," she said with no hint of surprise, as if Lucy's presence in the room was everyday thing. Neither she showed any awareness of her nightmare from minutes ago. She sat up and smiled at Lucy's confused face. "Have I overslept?"

"No... I mean. No. Of course not." Lucy composed herself. She looked at her unsure, but as Jadis didn't break her serenity, neither did she.

The queen disappeared behind the door for barely a few minutes and came back, dressed in a bright, silver tunic with a heavy and fully armed belt. Lucy saw little daggers hidden in the sides of her high boots and gasped, as a shining sword was handled to her. It was brighter than silver, but not white. Hard as a steel, yet different. The handle had three little diamonds, sparkling in the sun, yet something in them evoked rather an image of three stars blinking in the night sky. Jadis had the same looking one tied up to her waist.

"Come on, then. You need to practice."

Hesitating, Lucy grabbed the sword and breathed out, amazed how light it was.

"What is it made from?"

"A steel from another star." Said Jadis and with no further explanation, she marched through the snow. It was hard to keep up with her at first, her eagerness for this training was obvious. "Come on!" She rushed her, as Lucy stayed behind, still staring at the sword.

"I thought we will be rather using the arrows..." She panted as she reached Jadis, standing at the shooting field from the previous time. The bows and arrows were still there, packed and waiting, while the queen grabbed her own sword and in a glimpse of second closed to her.

"Defend yourself!"

Lucy startled at the sharp edge pointing her chest. She tried to block her, but her hand was not used to a big weapon. It took Jadis only a few seconds and the other sword was lying in the snow, so was Lucy, with her cheeks red from fury and embarrassment.

"What is it for? You know I can't win with you!" She stood up with her arms crossed and burning inside. Jadis looked amused and pleased with herself, which only made Lucy feel worse. But her voice was gentle as she finally replied.

"That is precisely why you need to practice. I know your shooting skills. A few more days with me and you will be a master of the tournament. But in a direct attack you have no chance." She picked Lucy's sword up and gave it back to her. Her steps on the deep snow were as light, as if she didn't weigh at all. 'She and the snow are one,' a thought appeared in Lucy's head and the curiosity overtook her anger. She also wanted to be that fast, that light. That sure of herself.

"Alright," she spoke, looking at the icy eyes. "Show me."

Jadis glowed.

"You need to be very fast. Come on, attack me. Don't spare me." She was blocking her easily, jumping around and sometimes turning completely away with a quick pirouette, to surprise Lucy by landing even closer to her a moment later. "She is incredibly fast," Lucy thought. The fluent movements were like a dance, a dance of Winter, whirling and turning around Lucy like the snowflakes in the wind. Soft but unavoidable. Icy cold when exposed too long to them, but beautiful. That beauty was the danger. She couldn't keep the eyes off her and that slowed down her thinking.

"I'll show you," she felt Jadis taking her by the hand and instead of more sparring, she led her arm, showing the movements, precisely and slowly at first, to increase the speed when Lucy was remembering the technique better. "Whatever happens, you need to be faster. There is no time for hesitation. Trust yourself."

Lucy did, or at least she tried to. It was a strange training, yet she felt it gave her a new knowledge, and a sense of a new power. She wanted more.

"Your arms need to be like a steel. Train them. Harden your muscles. Step by step. And comeback tomorrow if you want to go on."

She did. The following day, and the next one, and the next. From the second time Jadis was awaiting her already in the field. Sometimes, Lucy wondered if the queen slept at all at night, or perhaps, if she knew what happened before. But she never got any comment on that. The sword fighting was everything they did and everything they talked about. After each training Lucy was so exhausted that she didn't think about anything else anyway, just jumped through the gate and slept hard until Corin or Susan woke her up for breakfast.


	18. Lucy Gets a Cold

Lucy woke up and the intensity of the light in the room told her immediately that she overslept. She jumped out of bed feeling the increasing panic. How did that happen? A moment later she sat back. Something was happening to her. Her body was weak since the previous day, but she took it as a sign she overworked herself on trainings. She felt like all her bones hurt. Not the muscles, the bones. She was covered in sweat and her throat also hurt. She was sick. Using her last reserves of energy, she took a piece of paper, an envelope and wrote a short letter with apology for her absence. Creating the gate made her dizzy. She threw the envelope through the mirror and crawled out of the wardrobe just in time.

"Lucy, are you there? Everybody is waiting for you!"

She opened the door. Susan rushed in and one look at her was enough.

"Peter, Lucy is sick, call the medic!" Susan called into the corridor.

"I don't need a medic!" Lucy protested and coughed. Apparently raising her voice was a bad idea. Her oldest brother appeared and shook his head with worry.

"How did you do it? To catch such a cold in a hot summer..."

"I told you I will be fine, don't make such a big deal of it." Their concern irritated her. Now she will be constantly watched day and night and that was the last thing she wished for. She took out the bottle with her healing potion and was about to open it when Peter held her hand.

"What are you doing? Lucy, are you out of your mind?" He took it away.

"Give it back!" She yelled and the coughing came back.

"It is not to be wasted for a stupid cold. Stop behaving like a child and go back to bed! Lucy, that's an order." He said sharply. Lucy clenched her fists with fury.

"I am not taking orders!"

"Lucy, please..." Susan took her gently by the arms. Lucy wanted to struggle against it, but her body didn't listen to her. She felt like fainting. They helped her get back to the bed.

"What is wrong with her? Lucy never behaved like this..." Peter was still squeezing the potion and looked worried.

"She is ashamed; I guess..." Susan mused. "She is working out like crazy for this tourney, even at night, and barely sleeps. I don't know why it is so important. We are not participants anyway... I will talk to her later."

Lucy lay down. She felt hot and cold at the same time, her body shivered and all she wanted was to be left alone and cry. She never felt so lonely like at that moment when she realized she couldn't cross the gate that day. And maybe also that week. As long as she was sick there would always be someone watching her. She wanted to scream. The very thought that she couldn't go to the Sanctuary probably for longer time, made her instantly miss the icy field, various, white, fluffy animals always making her laugh. The chilly and refreshing air, the light of the rising sun coloring the snow. Jadis running through the snow. Jadis... Lucy curled up under the blanket.

In the next couple of days, she was served lots of food that she was unable to eat, along with some strange potions that tasted horrible, and she slept. Long and hard and had many dreams which she didn't remember except of a constant vision of one person.

"She has nightmares. Like you did. She spoke the name of the White Witch in her sleep. I have heard it. You need to talk to her." Susan told Edmund who nodded, trying to control his emotions.

His own nightmares were his personal secret and nobody knew about them but Susan and Mr. Tumnus. He was hiding them especially from Peter, as there was always a part of him that wouldn't let the oldest brother see his weakness. Edmund dreamed about the White Witch and the addictive Turkish Delight and each of those dreams ended with him waking up in sweat and enraged. The one thing he regretted the most was that it was not him ending her life. He felt defeated and his guilt never got weaker, only increasing the hatred towards the past. Now, thinking that Lucy might have suffered because of the same person, he wanted to destroy something to release his rage. Lucy was very pale, but after a few days she slept more calmly. They breathed with relief as it appeared the cold was really just a cold, after all.

Finally, Lucy felt good enough, that after another soup they served her, she was sitting on the bed and her cheeks seemed to return to the normal color.

"How are you, sister?" Edmund sat by her bed.

She looked at him with a surprise. So far it was always Susan sitting by her bed, not Edmund. This time she felt her brother didn't just visit her for a while to check how she felt. He was there for hours. She reminded her fight with Peter. As her thoughts got more clear, Lucy regretted losing her temper like that.

"Much better, thank you. Please, tell my apologies to Peter. He was right." She confessed. Edmund winked at her.

"I bet he deserved whatever you said, Peter The Almighty."

Lucy giggled. It was their secret nickname for the oldest brother since they were children. Even Susan didn't know it.

"Some things never change, do they?" She said brightly.

"They won't." Edmund admitted and leaned over her.

"You had nightmares, didn't you? We have heard you talking in your sleep. Are you alright?"

Lucy paled. What could they hear? She never thought about that. So far she didn't have to, nobody ever shared the bedroom with her since... She took a deep breath.

"What did I say exactly?"

"You said the name of the White Witch. There is nothing to be ashamed of, Lucy. It happened to me as well. Many times."

"What did you dream about?" She asked eagerly, hoping to avoid more questions.

"That I was killing her. Or she was killing me. They were different. Sometimes...," Edmund's voice turned into a whisper, "...I couldn't stop thinking about her. It was like... the world around me got dull and boring and I felt everything in her presence had brighter colors and no taste could be compared with the taste of her food. Her spell I guess... I feel like it is still inside of me. Like a part of me still dreams about her." His voice turned into a strange tone, as he was breathing faster and speaking with an affection of someone who was hiding his thoughts for too long. "I wish she were alive so I could get to her and defeat her. To feel her under me struggling... She deserves that, you know? Lucy, are you alright? You paled so much."

"I am fine." She managed to speak although she squeezed her hands together under the blanket so strongly that they hurt. She wanted to punch him for those words. "I think I want to go back to sleep." She turned to the side. As Edmund left her room, Lucy wept into the pillow.

A soft ruffling in the wardrobe drew her attention. Lucy froze. She knew that sound. Feeling her heart jumping of joy, she was conscious enough to check if she was alone in the room. She was. Although still found it difficult to move, she stood up and locked the door.

"How did you get here, Tom? The gate…" She stared at the white fox, she wanted to hug and kiss him, at that moment she felt he was the most precious and beautiful thing in the world. Tom spat out the envelope Lucy had previously used.

"Of course!" She grinned with excitement. "The paper came from this room, so while holding it, you could come here too! How clever!" Tom nodded and wiggled his puffy tail as the sign of pride.

"I have tried to deliver it several times, but you were never alone." He said. The envelope was thicker than before. Lucy opened it impatiently.

"Dear Lucy. I hope you will recover soon. This might help. But be careful and give the bottle back to Tom after you use it."

With shaking hands Lucy took out a little, flat bottle. Not thinking, she unscrewed it and swallowed a shiny potion that tasted like a crystal clear water from a mountain stream. She felt it was delicious. With a hint of regret, she returned the empty bottle to Tom and quickly wrote the answer.

"Thank you. I am looking forward to seeing you soon. Yours, Lucy."

It was almost painful to watch Tom disappearing in the mirror with the letter in his mouth and not to follow him.


	19. Mr Tumnus

The Great Tourney was about to begin.

Calormenian ships arrived and docked next to the beautiful Splendor Hyaline and Splendor Starlight. The same night a great ball in haven took place. It was also the first day when Lucy was allowed to get out of bed. One good thing in all of it was she didn't have to attend neither to welcoming ceremonies, nor never-ending preparations. Only Corin was disappointed, being forced to train alone. Susan assigned to him keeping all the tourney's accessories in order and that was not something a twelve-year-old prince found exciting.

The morning before the Welcoming Ball Susan demanded Lucy assisted her in the search for a proper jewelry, for both of them. Unwillingly, she followed her sister to the dungeons, trying not to think of the hours she spent there before, reading. Cair Paravel dungeons were a labyrinth of chambers with treasures, even Peter didn't know every room. Once in a while they promised themselves to study them all, but they never did. There were huge coffers in one, behind the "library" and the snowflakes engraved on them were a clear sign for Lucy, who they belonged to. She felt a rush of heat running through her body and drew Susan's attention to another chamber.

"Isn't that beautiful?" Susan found an emerald necklace and brought it closer to the torch light. The gems sparkled gently as Lucy placed it around her sister's neck.

"It fits you," she smiled.

Susan thought she was right. She loved green gems and those fitted her planned outfit perfectly.

"But what about you?"

Lucy hesitated. She surrounded the chamber and leaned over the boxes Susan was previously searching through.

"There. I like this one." She showed her a smaller, silver chain with a sparkling diamond-like crystal. It seemed to glow by itself, like a little star.

"This is amazing, where have you found it?" Susan stared at the gem. She had a peculiar feeling that she had seen something similar before, but couldn't recall where and when. A part of her regretted she hadn't found it first, but when Lucy put it on she had to admit: It was made for Lucy. The glittering silver rested on her skin and the crystal covered the soft spot of the neckline, right above the line of breasts. Lucy blushed slightly and caressed it in her fingers. Never before Susan saw her that excited about a piece of jewelry. "My little sister is a woman after all", she giggled. Lucy smiled, musing deep in her thoughts.

"Let's go find proper dresses, shall we?" Lucy took her by the hand. They left the dungeons without glancing at the chamber the silver necklace really came from.

The very same day Mr. Tumnus entered the castle and rushed up the stairs to find queen Lucy. It had to be an accidental Corin's and Susan's conversation to let him know that his best friend was lying in bed the last couple of days. He felt sad. He would expect Lucy would send for him, or at least let him know their usual tea time was cancelled.

"Great heavens... I completely forgot about it!" Lucy apologized. She was really sorry, he could tell and it comforted his heart. But he felt he missed her. Now he stared at her in awe. It was right before the ball and Lucy greeted him in the white, formal dress which he had never seen before. Even her hair looked different. She had it styled very high, almost on top of her head, being held by the shiny crown and pins. A silver, silky cape was wrapping her shoulders and neckline, evoking thoughts of the pure starlight that came down to cover his beloved queen.

"We do not talk like we used to. I understand it of course. You have more important matters to attend to. I sometimes forget you are a queen. Forgive me. A part of me still sees this little Lucy who once was too small to sit on the throne. I guess I am getting old."

"What are you talking about? Fauns are... you live longer than men, don't you?" Lucy patted his arm. She felt guilty. Her "more important matters" occupied her much more than she could admit, but so far she didn't forget their meetings. The sudden sickness (and equally sudden recovery that she needed to hide and stayed in bed a few days longer than needed) threw her out of balance. She had to be more careful and not change anything in her everyday life in Narnia. So now she smiled and took him by the arm, as she used to in her childhood days. She felt the faun cheering up. He straightened his back and walked much more confidently. Susan watched them from behind, walking down the stairs herself and musing if Lucy ever noticed how much the faun was in love with her. But the Calormenes were already waiting at the pier and she felt her own heart beating fast. The possible love interests of her younger sister had to wait. Susan checked if her dress uncovered her cleavage enough and not too much. All was perfect and one of the emeralds hanged a little bit lower, just about to hide in between her breasts. She smiled to Edmund and Peter joining them, also dressed up in purple (Peter) and dark green (Edmund) robes. She giggled, seeing Peter checking on his pants once in a while when he thought nobody saw it. He hated how tight it was. So did Edmund.

It was an amazing ball. The dance floor was built directly on the beach, so the guests could admire both, the sea and the stars, while getting themselves enchanted by mermaids' songs and the fauns' little orchestra. Lucy gazed at her sister dancing with Rabadash and felt an anxiety mixed with longing. Susan looked happy in his arms, definitely more than she seemed a few months ago. Was it really like this, she mused, that when one person desires another long enough, the effort gets eventually rewarded?

"May I have this dance, my queen?"

Mr. Tumnus approached her and she unwillingly let him lead her to the dance floor. She danced already with Peter, Edmund and Lord Peridan - the Narnian courtier, and Rabadash, who complimented her beauty more times she could count. Luckily he quickly returned his attention to her sister. As much as she loved dancing, the formal balls were no pleasure. It was so much better to dance with the tree faeries in the woods!

"What's wrong, my queen?" The faun noticed her distraction.

"Aren't you tired of these royal formalities? Let's go for a walk." She grinned. He agreed to it with enthusiasm. The wine they all have been drinking took some effect and Mr. Tumnus felt hot and even more talkative than usual. As for Lucy, she was also definitely too warm. She threw her cape on the chair and followed him to the wood, laughing.

"Fresh air, isn't it wonderful? It was so crowded there."

"It was." He agreed and took her by the hand. There was something in his gesture and look that made her step back. She felt instantly guilty, as they walked hand in hand so many times in the past. But there was that strange warmth coming from the faun in her direction, Lucy didn't know what it was but she instinctively felt she didn't like it.

"My sister seems very happy. What do you think about these Calormenes?" She asked to keep up the conversation, hoping the awkward feeling would go away.

"I think," he said carefully choosing words, "that queen Susan has a great need to be loved."

"I agree," she nodded.

"Lucy, my queen! I can't hold it back anymore. I love you!" He burst with desperation of someone holding the emotions too long.

"Oh..." Lucy took another step back and leaned against the tree. "I love you too, you are my best friend!" she said quickly. But it wasn't enough. He took her hand again and kissed it passionately.

"Mr. Tumnus, stop!" Her voice turned colder and more "queen-like". It worked as a cold shower on the faun. He sat on the nearest stone.

"Forgive me...", he put his hands on the head. "I have drunk too much, the wine... we fauns have weak minds..."

"It's alright," she patted his shoulder, relieved. If he was really drunk, there was a chance he wouldn't remember this conversation in the morning. Lucy very much hoped for it. "How about I walk you home? You need some sleep."

She leaned over him and her necklace swung before his nose. It glittered in the moonlight and Mr. Tumnus jumped up.

"Where do you have it from?!" He stared at it. He reached the necklace with one hand and would rip it off if Lucy didn't hold it first.

"What are you doing?"

"This is the necklace of the White Witch! You mustn't wear it! Destroy it!"

She took a deep breath.

"Don't speak to me in this manner!" She ordered him like never before. Suddenly she felt strong. And angry. Then the moment was gone and the sadness overwhelmed her. She was about to lose her best friend and was now aware of it.

"I found it in the castle yesterday, together with Susan. We looked for something special for the ball. Besides, I don't need to explain myself."

"Of course you don't. I am a very stupid faun tonight, right?" He giggled nervously.

"You are a very drunk faun tonight." She stated and took him firmly by the arm. The way to his house seemed never-ending, however finally they got there. She lit the lamp and helped him sit.

"I will make you some tea." She took the pot to the hand and turned away to get some water.

"I am a very stupid faun tonight," Mr. Tumnus murmured and stood up, heavily. He found it difficult to walk, but didn't want to go to bed, either. He sat on the floor instead and dag into his coffers. When Lucy came back with a pot of water and searched his shelves for the tea, he was sitting on the floor with the pile of old looking parchments. "Stupid, stupid faun. Stupid faun remembers. Everything." He now looked through the pages and stared at one. "This necklace and this... hair. Stupid faun remembers." He pointed his finger at her. Lucy put his cup next to him and stepped closer to see what was on the parchment. Her own tea cup fell from her hand and hit the floor heavily, breaking. The tea splashed all over, on her dress and on the parchments. Only the one Mr. Tumnus held higher in his hand was intact. It was a portrait. The hair and the necklace of the White Witch were identical as Lucy's, even the color of the hair was the same. She paled. Above all the things, she never put a second thought that she copied Jadis' hair style. But why on earth Mr. Tumnus kept Jadis' portrait in his house?

"Stupid faun always remembers. In case the evil comes back he would know. I would know." He repeated loudly, answering her unspoken question. "Is she alive?" He yelled.

Lucy was silent, her eyes got filled with tears.

"Is she alive? You must answer me." He got to her, practically kneeling at her feet. Somehow she wasn't able to move.

"Please, I can't..." Her throat was dry. She wanted to invent a plausible lie, to tell some story, like she was always thinking. And somehow she couldn't. It was hard for her to speak at all.

"Lucy. My queen." For a moment it looked like he calmed down. He stepped back, drank from his cup, breathed heavily and then stood up, closing to her again. "Look me in the eyes. Is Narnia in danger?"

Tears fell down her cheeks. "No!" She shouted quickly. "If there is any danger it comes from Calormen, not from..." She broke. She realized her reaction was the answer enough. Mr. Tumnus curled up as if somebody hit him in the stomach.

"Mr. Tumnus, please!" She grabbed his shoulders, but he pushed her away. "You are my best friend; you have to believe me!" She cried.

With a clear difficulty he sat at the table, burying face in his hands. She could see him sobbing. She was crying herself, and shaking. She wanted to hug him but he shuddered.

"I knew it." He finally spoke. "Somehow. For a long time. I felt it in you. I could always feel it."

"I am not turning evil!" She burst. "Neither... You don't understand, things are different now! She is different. She helps me. She trains me..."

"Stop! Enough! I can't take it. Anything, but not this. Not this... Oh, Aslan..." He wept.

She had to do something. She took him strongly by the arm and shook. "Mr. Tumnus. I have not changed! I am the same Lucy you know. I beg you. Don't you trust me anymore? Please, look at me!" She sobbed.

It took some effect. The faun silenced and gazed at her, studying her eyes. His sadness was overwhelming as he spoke.

"I knew this day had to come. No one ever found her body. I remember her powers better than most. I was watching her. I knew there would be a day when the evil returns. She always returns. But I would never think, even in my worst nightmares that the one she takes would be... you."

"What are you saying? Nobody took me!" Lucy leaned to him and said slowly and clearly. "I am not under a spell. I am still me!"

"She took so much from me." He didn't listen to her and kept talking. "But now she did the worst."

"Mr. Tumnus..." She begged.

"She stole your heart." He broke and kept on crying.

Lucy stood still for a long while, speechless.


	20. Matters of the Heart

Lucy ran through the icy land. The snow stuck to her dress and the wet fabric was slowing her down. She left Mr. Tumnus unconscious, lying against the table, after the sleeping potion she added to his tea. He was too drunk to notice it and she couldn't risk. Panicking, Lucy felt if she doesn't find a way to either convince him or to make him forget the events of the evening, everybody in the Sanctuary would be in danger. She could imagine it vividly. Her siblings watching her day and night. The animals spying on each other to find those who knew the passage. She reminded the little foxes and their careless talk about the party.

"Jadis!" She stood at the palace door and called as loud as her voice let her. To her relief the queen immediately ran down and a second later she was panting in her arms. "I don't know what to do, I am so sorry..." She was crying out everything that happened. Jadis held her and didn't speak a word until the girl calmed down.

"If he got the potion I remember, he should sleep till sunrise, but we cannot risk." Jadis rushed to another room that was apparently something like a kitchen. She returned with a little bottle."

"This will make him forget everything that is related to the present me. I made it recently, thinking one day it may be needed for such an occasion. Just pour a drop in his mouth when he sleeps." Her eyes fell on Lucy's necklace. The girl understood. She took it off and handled to her.

"I know it belongs to you." She confessed with a hint of guilt. How could she be so reckless? Lucy couldn't even explain, why it felt so important to wear it in the first place. Jadis turned the crystal in her hand, the sparkling fitted her dress and the snow outside.

"Who would expect they remember so little things?" She murmured and gestured at something outside. As if answering an inaudible call, two reindeers ran to the entrance, pulling her sleigh.

"I'll take you to the gate. It will be faster."

They jumped on it and the sleigh rushed to the cave without any word from the queen. Lucy looked amazed.

"How do they know what to do?"

"They know me well." Jadis smiled and gazed at Lucy's naked arms. "Now, we cannot let you get a cold again, can we?" She leaned over her and placed a soft kiss on Lucy's lips. It was the first time someone kissed her. She hadn't even imagined how that could feel, unlike Susan, talking constantly about Rabadash, and she definitely wouldn't expect the rush of joy and magic like a beam of light flying through her and making her shiver. Now all Lucy felt, was how badly she wanted to kiss her back. But they were already standing by the portal and reluctantly she let go of her. Jadis' hand caressed her face, the soft fingers traced the line of her cheek, lips' corner and wandered down to the cleavage. "That was my gift to you."

Lucy looked at her with question. Jadis smiled mysteriously.

"Let's say, you will never get sick again. That's a promise." She caressed now her naked arms. "That's a lovely dress." She smiled.

Until that moment the girl didn't even realize she didn't feel the cold anymore. At all. She gasped in surprise. Before she crossed the gate, Jadis stopped her once more and her slender fingers ran through Lucy's hair, letting it fall down freely.

"Be safe, little queen."

"I will come back soon." Lucy jumped through.

"What happened?" Mr. Tumnus woke up. It was a sunny morning and the hot tea and a plate with freshly fried eggs waited for him at the table. He massaged his hurting head. He couldn't recall how he got there and why queen Lucy was making him breakfast? Not that he wasn't happy to see her. But the last thing he remembered was asking her to dance at the ball. Or he didn't?

Lucy smiled to him. She still had her white, formal dress, although it looked definitely dirty on the bottom. Lucy was known to be the one who cannot wear bright colors without making them dirty after five minutes. Apparently it included even the most royal queen's outfits. He found it disarming and would be very happy at that morning, if his stomach wouldn't make him very uncomfortable. And ashamed.

"Do you remember that calormenian wine? I think it is too strong for fauns." Lucy giggled and drank from her cup of tea. He also noticed she must have made some order in the room. Everything looked particularly clean.

"Too strong? You should see... ouch." Jumping off the bed appeared to be a very bad idea. He fell back into the sheets and looked at her concerned. "I didn't do... anything embarrassing, did I?"

Lucy shook her head and laughed. He breathed with relief.

"I must head back to the castle. Will you be alright? I'll see you soon."

He was again snoring before she finished the sentence.

She reached Cair Paravel with a hint of anxiety. What if everybody has been wondering about her disappearance for the entire night?

"There you are! I hoped the calormenian wine didn't knock you out like your sister." Peter greeted her at the dining table. To her surprise he was sitting there alone and didn't seem very concerned. He only checked her out from the bottom to the top and smirked. Lucy's dress was a mess and her hair... Susan would say it was profaning the crown. Peter in fact found it amusing and even impressive, finding Lucy being actually conscious and able to eat. Unlike Susan and Edmund. And most of the guests. Lucy grabbed the plate with pastries and devoured them with a great appetite. Until now she didn't even feel how much starving she was.

"So," her voice got merry, as apparently nobody was worried about her. "The ball was successful; I presume?"

"Successful!" Peter laughed. "Edmund challenged Lord Peridan for a duel on the pier and they both fell into the sea. They would have drowned if not the intervention of mermaids. Susan asked Rabadash to present his archery skills as nobody could stand his poetry anymore. At some point he started to sing, so we found his shooting off the balloons much less harmful. And he was doing that pretty well, so well that later during the night I saw Susan and him kissing in the dark corner of the tent. But what about you? I saw you leaving with Mr. Tumnus hand in hand. Is there something you would like to tell me, little sister?

"There isn't." She stated with certainty, to her discontent feeling her cheeks blush.

"Really?" He examined her dress one more time. "Judging on the way he always stares at you I would assume he at least proposed." He teased.

Lucy very much wanted to throw a piece of cake at his face.

"He didn't! And stop with these jokes, will you? Why is everybody pairing us up anyway?"

"Because he is obviously in love with you." Peter's tone got serious. "And you seem to be the only one who doesn't see it."

Lucy sighed heavily.

"I do. Last night he got drunk and confessed. I walked him home and made sure he went safely to bed. It was a long way home," she added observing her brother's skeptical look. "I don't feel this way about him and I never did. I guess he should know it by now."

"Poor lad." Peter commented. He nodded and smiled to her. "I understand. And if an occasion occurs, I talk reason to him."

"Thank you brother, but that's my task."

Peter nodded again. If only Susan could be equally mature in those matters!

"I will go to see how Susan is doing. They really kissed, you say?" She giggled and left the dining room.

Susan was in her bedroom, still sleeping. She murmured in protest as Lucy energetically opened the windows. Lucy herself got already changed. She put her crown to the coffer and her white outfit got replaced by the usual, dark blue one. She also combed her hair and made one loose braid, falling softly on her back. And she swore to herself to take a bath as soon as she gets some more peace.

"So? Tell me everything!" She started when her older sister seemed more like being able to talk. Susan also had headache. Lucy chuckled, thinking if she was the only one immune to the wine in entire Narnia.

"I never thought I could ever feel this way about him, you know?" Susan spoke dreamily. She stretched her arms and gracefully shook her head the way that a few curls of her hair swung over her cleavage. Lucy watched it amusedly. It was one of things she could never learn.

"So... do you really love him?"

She enquired with a hint of worry. The idea of her sister marrying Rabadash caused an unpleasant sensation in her stomach. She didn't like the calormenian prince at all. His smooth way of motion and sweet words resembled her one of the drama acts the fauns and faeries performed sometimes for their entertainment. Was Susan really believing him?

"He told me many things about himself last night, you know? How his own country doesn't understand him? His love for beauty. Deep in his soul he is an artist."

"But not a poet, I hope?" Lucy couldn't resist and a big pillow landed on her face.

"Alright, his poems are horrible." Susan admitted.

"So what is it then, what you feel?" Lucy insisted.

Susan looked her intensely in the eyes.

"I just have this thrill when I hear his voice. When I see the passion in his eyes. This... hunger, like he wants to kiss me forever. To kiss and..." She giggled and blushed. Lucy resisted from rolling her eyes.

"He desires you. I know." She concluded coolly. Susan looked irritated.

"You don't understand. You are still a child when it comes to these matters. But some day, you will see." Her voice returned to a dreamy tone. "It's like your body suddenly wakes up and longs for a touch, a caress... and it is so strong that it takes your breath away. You shiver and you are feeling hot. And somebody's hand on yours, or a soft kiss, feels like a flow of magic running through you and you just want to beg for more.

Lucy's lips turned to be completely dry. Each of Susan's words hit her directly in the heart and she felt there was no rest for her anymore. She swallowed heavily, trying to control her breath and bring it back to normal. To change the subject, she told Susan what happened at night with Mr. Tumnus.

"Poor him. But he had it coming." Susan's cheerful voice revealed she wasn't worried. "but tell me, isn't there really nobody special in your life? You often seem so distracted."

This time the pillow hit Susan's face and Lucy left the room.

That afternoon she went to check on Mr. Tumnus. The faun was sitting in the yard and looked much better. At the sight of Lucy, he jumped off the chair and they shook hands in the funny, old fashioned way, reminding Lucy of her childhood times. But then they stood in a knee deep snow. Lucy took a deep breath to push that though away. Mr. Tumnus still looked at her with embarrassment and a sort of shyness in his eyes he didn't have before.

"The more I try, the more I don't remember anything from yesterday. Or from the night. I even can't recall the ball! It never happened to me before, what must you think of me?"

"Dear friend, you are not so different from at least one king and one queen of Narnia,", she laughed sympathetically. After she told him about Susan and Edmund he cheered up at once. They shared the afternoon tea and a delicious cherry pie like in the old times and Lucy felt very much relieved that the things between them went back to normal. Of course, there was still that strange warmth hidden in his eyes. But now, without the wine, he didn't have the courage to reveal his feelings anymore.

The tourney's great opening ceremony took place in the evening. Lucy felt like she had a constant fever and knew it wouldn't go away until she gets to the Sanctuary again. She must go there at least for a while... at night? Maybe? No. The reasonable part of her took over. This needed to wait.

"King Edmund on his own, two feet. How was the swim?" She mocked him as they gathered in the throne hall. Edmund gave her a stern look and didn't answer. Lucy, Peter and Susan couldn't control a discreet chuckle, which didn't make Edmund feel better. He was very pale and had a distant, grim expression. Apparently his headache was worse than theirs. Lucy looked at his clenched lips and suddenly a picture from the past appeared in her mind. She thought about that little boy in Beavers' house, who sneaked out to run to the White Witch's castle. To Jadis.

 _'I have felt it in you.'_

Mr. Tumnus was also sitting among the guests and waved at her happily when their looks met.

 _'I want to feel her under me struggling. She deserves that, you know?'_

Edmund continued the welcoming speech after Susan. Her turn was the next. She could hear her own heart beating loud as drums in her ears.

 _'I am not under a spell!'_

The voices in her head got louder and Lucy felt dizzy. As everybody turned to her awaiting that she closes the speech, Lucy slipped from the throne.

"Lucy! Queen Lucy? She needs some fresh air, quickly!" Came from everywhere. She felt being carried outside and the evening sea breeze brought her relief.

"I am alright." She reassured the astonished crowd staring at her. "I just need some rest." She excused herself and, as everybody still suffered from the last night's ball, they looked at her with understanding. She passed the stairs and turned unnoticed, using one of the side doors, opened mostly for the royal cooks. Right behind it, in the back garden, something shimmered in the air. Before anybody saw it, Lucy vanished.


	21. Fire and Ice

"What..."

"I waited for you." Jadis was standing in the cave. She reached her arm and a big, white sea gull landed on it.

"How did you... Did the bird make the portal?"

She nodded. "I sent him for you."

Lucy felt uncomfortable. It was always her choosing the time of visit. Now she was thrown there, taken by surprise. What did it mean?

"You shouldn't have. There is a crowd of people around me these days." From Jadis stern face she realized it sounded colder than she intended.

"I couldn't wait." Jadis voice was impatient. "How did it go? With the faun?"

Lucy felt enraged by her stiff tone.

"So that's what you are about? All is fine. Here." She handled her the empty bottle she kept in the pocket. "You are safe. Now excuse me." She turned to the gate, feeling tears coming to her eyes.

"Lucy, wait! Why are you acting this way?" A strong hand grabbed her shoulder. The voice was irritated, but also concerned. Lucy blinked a few times for it was difficult to see clearly.

"And why do you speak to me like this? Kidnapping me, because you are so concerned about your secret? You should know better by now. Well, your safety is restored. There is no point for my being here any longer."

Jadis rolled her eyes and didn't let her go.

"My safety? Little queen, if the faun runs around screaming about this place, the worst that can happen here is that all my animals cannot enter Narnia anymore. In case you forgot, no enemy can pass the gate. Your brothers wouldn't even see the gate. The only one in danger here is you!" Jadis' voice got louder. Lucy barely understood the words, the anger of the old White Witch seemed to glow in the queen's eyes. "It's you who would be locked up and watched. Maybe thrown to the dungeons. Maybe for the rest of your life. So don't talk about MY safety! Now you can go!" Jadis stepped away from her furiously, the snow flashed around her dress creating a white cloud.

"Fine! I'll leave, then. At least nobody will be telling me I am under a spell anymore!"

Lucy was crying. She wanted to scream. Why was Jadis treating her like this? Why she stopped her a moment ago, but wasn't stopping her now? She didn't want to go. She wanted to beg Jadis to stop her.

"A spell?" The queen turned around.

"Mr. Tumnus said so." Lucy sobbed. She wasn't able to control herself. Why everything went so wrong?

"Of course he did." The voice of Jadis was ice cold. "And what kind of spell was I supposed to cast this time?" She asked mockingly.

"He said..." Lucy found it hard to look at Jadis directly. But she forced herself to it, her eyes were burning.

"He said you stole my heart."

"What?" The queen stepped closer and the icy blue eyes widened. She stared at Lucy who used her entire self-control to not escape, or at least, to not look down. "Is it true?" She asked quietly.

Lucy took a deep breath and nodded. Jadis gazed at her in surprise. Lucy took one step forward to the tall figure and shyly touched her arms. Jadis didn't move at that contact and it felt like the air around them froze. Lucy also froze, not sure what to do. She wanted to hug her, to cling to her, but just stood there, still, despaired and waited. Then she felt a soft, but firm hand cupping her cheek. And another lips covering hers in a long kiss. This time she responded. She opened her mouth and kissed her back, long and hard. She clung to her, her arms surrounded Jadis' waist and she got closed in a strong embrace. Jadis pulled her chin a little higher and kept kissing, taking her breath away. They parted to look at each other. Lucy's body shivered, yet, she never felt happier before. The strong arms held her even closer, she felt the pair of hands wandering up and down the line of her spine and caressing her back and waist. If the kiss before made her thrill, this was overwhelming. She was shaking and her hands also moved up and down the queen's body, until she was pulled so close she could barely breathe, and just snuggled to her chest, panting and shivering.

"What happens now?" She managed to whisper and received another, soft and gentle, kiss in the lips.

"It depends on you, my little queen," Jadis whispered back and lightened her embrace. Lucy didn't want to let go of her, her hands seemed to think for her, wondering towards the opening of Jadis' dress and not daring to do more. Jadis smiled and taking a deep breath, stopped her.

"Not now... You need to go back."

Lucy reluctantly had to admit she was right. So she just snuggled to her again and stayed like this for the next minute.

"Are you alright?" Jadis placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

She smiled and raised her head to reach the narrow lips that parted before her instantly.

"I take it as a yes." Jadis smirked. They kissed again, once, twice, many times, until the queen took another deep breath and straightened up.

"It's time."

Lucy sighed. "I know." Jadis gave her the last hug and caressed her face.

"Go, now. Come back when the time is right."

"Will you be waiting for me?" Lucy whispered. She had to know. Jadis stared at the snow. Suddenly Lucy understood. She was the one making rules. She never could say for sure when she comes back and if she didn't, she couldn't tell the reason in advance.

"I am so sorry! I was such a fool. I don't know what I was thinking."

"It is alright." Jadis replied quietly.

"I will come back as soon as I can, I promise. And I will be sending you letters what happens here. Every night. So you don't have to worry anymore."

Jadis embraced her again. Her own body was shivering from desire as she no less than Lucy wanted to continue what they started. This needed to wait, though. Unwillingly, she let her walk into the portal.


	22. The Tourney

The tourney started. Lucy and Corin were spending entire days on the archery field and Lucy insisted on creating a special youth category, with lighter bows, especially for him. The young prince again was practicing many hours per day, saying, he couldn't stand the thought of being beaten by any calormenian or even narnian archer. But unfortunately he was. Apparently no one could compare to the young centaurs who seemed to be born with bows and quivers already in their hands. The river of arrows flew to the targets and they hardly ever missed.

"It is not fair, they are taller and more stable on their four legs. There should be a different category for humans." He stated bitterly.

"Now, my friend, don't be like that. They have been training this for years while you started a few weeks ago. Give yourself some time." Lucy embraced his shoulders and led out of the crowd. "Actually, I have a very important task for you." She said with a serious voice, ostentatiously looking if they were not overheard. Corin forgot his defeat instantly.

After several strategy discussions in the Sanctuary Lucy decided it would be unwise to train her future army of archers in front of the Calormenes. She wanted to wait until the guests would leave, but in the meantime she could at least select the potential members of the future troops.

"I need you to watch the shooters. To help me select the best. Not only the winners. But those, who are good, but won't get lucky at the final. You know what I mean? I want you to write me their names, so after the tourney I can gather them together and train. But this must stay only between us, do you understand? I don't want any Calormenes to know."

Corin didn't need to be asked twice, delighted by her trust and excited with a possible adventure. In the next days, Susan and Edmund were surprised seeing the young prince running around with a piece of parchment and the quill, not bothering them at all, and looking very busy.

In the meantime, queen Susan and prince Rabadash seemed to appear everywhere together. They walked through the gardens holding hands, Susan visited him on his ship in the evenings and it was only a matter of time when she turned to Peter, with shining eyes and her face reddened, to communicate that he proposed again.

"Again this week? That's news." Peter rose his eyebrow. Lucy gazed at her sister as they sat altogether in the Throne Hall, to discuss the matters of the last few weeks. Susan gave Peter a stern look.

"Things are different now." She said and that expression made Lucy look down, as the phrase Susan used disturbingly resembled her own words to Mr. Tumnus.

"He invited me to visit the Empire. He wants me to see his home. Why Lucy and I don't go there for a couple of weeks and we can see for ourselves what his family is like. Or he, among his own people.

"That's a good idea..." Started Peter, but Lucy didn't let him finish. The thought itself about the journey to Calormen startled her. She would be under a constant attention and was it even possible to create the portal being so far away from Narnia? Lucy paled on the very thought of that. Besides, she didn't like the prince and very much didn't want to see him more than it was necessary. Her concern about Susan turned into fear. She can't marry him!

"I don't think it is a good idea." They all turned to her surprised by the sharpness of her tone. "We do not know them enough to trust them. We could be kidnapped."

"He would never do that!" Susan was enraged. "How can you even think about him in this way, after everything I told you?"

"Forgive me harsh words." Lucy added quickly. She didn't want to fight with her. But how to convince Susan to stay, and, more importantly, to not marry the prince?"

"I'll go, then." Edmund said suddenly, to everybody's surprise. "I think Lucy has a point, although I wouldn't fear violence. But nevertheless, a visit from the queen and the king of Narnia will be taken differently as the arrival of two young, beautiful queens that are yet to be married. We all have heard about calormenian customs in those matters.

"Those are wise words, brother." Peter admitted. He also felt relieved, not liking the idea of this marriage at all. He felt Susan would be a lot safer with Edmund, who was an excellent diplomat. The four kings and queens left the Throne Hall in better moods, content with their conclusions.

Using an hour of peace, as they all headed to rest before the supper time (and another party with the guests), Lucy locked herself in the bedroom. She took a piece of parchment and the quill and started writing.

"Dear..." She stopped in the last moment. She almost forgot she was not supposed to write the name! It was very unlikely that someone inappropriate would read it, but still, possible. Lucy hesitated.

 _Dearest,_

 _I am keeping my promise. I miss you dearly and wait for the time when I can see you again. Here..._

Lucy wrote about Susan's proposal and the decision of Edmund. She also wrote about the trainings with Corin and the archery. She found it strange to write her everyday things to Jadis, but at the same time it brought her a great joy. She wondered what Jadis would say and, Lucy's breath got faster, what would she be like when they meet again.

That night there was a choir of faeries singing enchanted songs and, to Lucy's delight, the tree spirits performed their dances beautifully. They invited all the guests to join them at the end and she was happy to do it. It was a different kind of dance than during the balls. Here everybody danced freely, there was no steps to learn and no rules. In the gentle light of torches, candles and stars, Lucy could move along with the music and express her new, overwhelming affection. So her dance was amazing to those watching, so much that the lords and barons and even her brothers couldn't keep their eyes off her. Peter saw the desire hidden in many eyes watching his sister. Everybody stared at her breathless and he thought that Lucy acted somehow differently that night. He often saw her dancing with faeries, but now there was an exceptional kind of sensuality in her movements. That night queen Lucy was remembered as the most beautiful of all queens in the history of Narnia. Well, maybe with one exception, but nobody would mention it out loud.

"May the sky rejoice at the brightness of Thy eyes, oh Beloved Lady," at the breakfast Rabadash welcomed Susan with his usual manner, kneeling before her and kissing her hand at least five times. Lucy and Peter exchanged amused looks. "Lady Lucy, the flowers are bowing their cupped petals ashamed by Thy beauty. May Thy day be bright eternally!" He bowed before Lucy and to her relief, he took the seat at the other side of the table. She smiled politely, avoiding Peter's eyes, as she was sure she couldn't resist laughter. Rabadash however wasn't done yet. "Thee, whose sword made the Ugly Witch tremble, joyful be your day, my Lord," this was addressed to Peter and Lucy was glad she didn't have food in her mouth yet, she would have certainly choked. She started to look forward to the part directed at Edmund, as he was the only one not mentioned yet.

"Oh, she wasn't ugly." Edmund said unexpectedly. Lucy gasped. Even Susan and Peter stared at him. The dark haired king that in his feature was as similar to Susan, as Lucy resembled Peter with her golden hair, was in a particularly good mood. Usually the mentioning of the Witch would make him frown. "She was exceptionally beautiful, the White Witch, you know." He was speaking this to Rabadash and the prince stared at him with a mixture of disbelief, respect and admiration. Lucy finally guessed why her brother was doing so. The legend of the White Witch was a famous myth in Calormen. If she was powerful enough to rule Narnia for a hundred years, how powerful must have been those, who defeated her? Of course, Rabadash knew little about Aslan, so it was Edmund and Peter, especially the first one, as the heroes. Edmund was enjoying his attention a lot. "I have been close to her," he continued, as if they were alone at the table. He switched the place to sit next to the prince. In the meantime, several pastries and cakes were served, but Lucy found it difficult to eat. She drank her tea very slowly and listened.

"I was just a boy that day. She took me to her sleigh and I set so close that I could touch her lips."

"Edmund!" To Lucy's relief, Susan reacted, as for her it must have sounded equally ridiculous.

"I think you were too young to be really thinking about her lips that day, my dear brother," Peter chuckled. Edmund reddened from anger.

"You understand nothing!" He yelled. Patronizing him at the presence of the guests made him furious and Peter knew it. "Once she enchants you, you always remember. I still see her in my dreams and in my dreams I defeat her, make her mine."

"Edmund!" Lucy shouted. Everybody at the table silenced. Those were strange words, very much unlike the king who was called The Just.

"You will not be speaking about any woman in this manner." Peter spoke coldly. "Even if it is that woman."

"Fine. I see this company lucks a sense of humor." He patted Rabadash in the arm. "Come, my friend. I show you preparations for the race. And we can talk some more."

They walked out of Dining Room, leaving an awkward silence. Lucy felt her cheeks burning and she wanted to follow her brother and hit him hard.

"Edmund never changes. As soon as he finds a good ear to brag about his combat valour, he loses his head. Please, accept my apologies, ladies, for my brother's words." He gestured at the both queens and the baronesses from the Lone Islands. "I will speak reason to him as soon as the race and tourney madness are over."

For the rest of the day Lucy avoided her brother and walked restless through the tourney fields. The Great Horse Race was prepared specially to honor the prince. Calormen was famous from their steeds and the prince brought several of them on ships. He was going to participate as well, as he considered himself the greatest rider. Queen Susan promised him to give the best possible care to his horses and she did so, looking forward to the race herself with a great excitement.

The race began in the late afternoon, when the sun was lower and the air was not so hot. Lucy took her place on the highest tribune and paid a little attention to what was happening below. The screams all around her were deafening and she realized Rabadash had won the race. Susan decorated his horse with her own scarf and put a golden medal on the happy prince's neck. Lucy excused herself as soon as the congratulations were over and said she needed to change for her evening dress.

Back in her bedroom, she took the quill and started writing another letter. She didn't intend to mention Edmund's behavior, feeling it would be more than inappropriate.


	23. The Sanctuary

"The northern border is calling for help! Peter! Wake up!" Lucy burst into the High King's bedroom. It was an early morning and she still had a night wear covered with the cape, in case she would meet anybody but her siblings on the corridor. Luckily she didn't. Peter opened his eyes wide in a surprise, as it was very much not like his sister to act with such a panic. He took the little piece of parchment she held. That was a note from the leader of the village that had been previously attacked. It said: "The giants have returned. The mountains shake from their steps and the trees fall. Please, help us!"

"How did you get it?" Peter jumped out of the bed. Lucy rolled her eyes.

"The messenger brought it a moment ago. Hurry!" She didn't have to ask further as her brother was already calling the guards and soon the order of gathering the troops spread all over the castle. Peter and his hussars set off barely an hour later, leaving the astonished guests in the care of the remaining three rulers.

"It was so sudden," wondered Susan, concerned. She was worried what the calormenian prince would think of them now. Narnia was supposed to be a perfectly peaceful land! But the unhappiest person was Corin, who was stopped in the last moment by one of the stables. He intended to slip out and follow Peter and when the troops were getting in the formation, he got caught on stealing a pony. Now he was brought to the two queens, who thrilled on the very idea of the boy succeeding in his attempt.

"How could you do something like that?" The prince stood before them, looking down and not knowing what to say. Lucy sighed. "If you were so bored that looking for danger seemed to you like a great adventure, you should have come to me in the first place. I thought we were friends." She said sincerely.

"I wasn't looking for danger!" He opposed. Seeing that nobody really shouted at him, he relaxed a bit. "It's just..."

"What?" Lucy encouraged him. They sat on the sofa in the corner of the Throne Hall, placing the boy between them.

"You never had time for me lately, so I thought I might be of some use to the high king!"

Both sisters exchanged their looks and shook heads.

"Corin, Corin," sighed Susan. Lucy felt a hint of guilt.

"We know the tourney was occupying all of us greatly,' she started. "But hey, have you forgotten my request from the other day?"

"I haven't!" The boy cheered up. "My list is almost ready, but I am not sure it is relevant anymore. At least half of the shooters just left with the High King."

"What list?" Susan perked up. Lucy revealed her plan and soon she and the young prince started a discussion about the archery, to delight of the last one. Susan shook her head with amusement.

"You both are amazing. But I won't let you eat breakfast in this outfit." She checked Corin's dirty shirt and hands. Lucy suppressed a chuckle.

The rest of the remaining week they spent on both, preparations for the tourney's final and Susan's and Edmund's journey. Edmund decided to take Mr. Tumnus with them, and only Lucy knew it was after the suggestion of Peter that the faun needed to not see queen Lucy for some time. Finally, queen Susan announced that Corin was also to join. Mostly, because Lucy asked her for it, besides she also wanted to relieve her sister from the duty of constant taking care about the young prince. As for Lucy, if the circumstances were different, she would have gone North with Peter. Now however "somebody has to stay in Cair Paravel and keep an eye on everything," she said, hoping she didn't sound too joyful. In fact, all Lucy was thinking that the moment was that she would finally be left alone and free. Finally, the day of the departure had come and after hugging her older sister for goodbye Lucy felt that for the first time in her life she could understand Susan. Her body was burning from inside.

"Am I her lover? Is she mine? Does she..." Having these thoughts constantly on her mind, as soon as she could lock herself in the bedroom, Lucy created the portal and walked through, feeling as if her heart was about to jump out of her chest. It was the sunset time, both in Narnia and in the Sanctuary and the last one welcomed her with the cascade of colors reflecting on the ice caves. Lucy ran down the path towards the palace as fast as she could. Jadis was on the terrace, and seeing the slim silhouette approaching, she stood up immediately and soon Lucy was panting in her embrace, shaking from happiness. Jadis brought her up and for a moment held in the air, before letting her hide again in her arms. She led Lucy inside and as soon as the door closed, she pulled her to the wall and kissed passionately. This time Lucy was bolder, seeing the queen's desire was as great as hers, she slipped her own dress down, and noticing Jadis eyes widening from both, the surprise and longing, she kissed her deeper.

"You too..." Lucy whispered in between the kisses and couldn't refrain a loud moan, feeling Jadis' lips moving down to her neck.

"Not here..." Jadis took her in her arms and carried up the stairs to the bedroom. Lucy recognized the big bed and before she was able to think, Jadis took off her own dress. How it was possible that powerful and feared 'White Witch' could at the same time look so stunning and gentle? Appeared in Lucy's mind, although she was too overwhelmed to think much. Jadis was taller and heavier than her but now, her naked shoulders, soft breasts, the fine lines of the neck, the shoulder bones and the entire perfectly shaped figure, made her appear very subtle, to not say fragile. She pulled her long hair to the back and leaned over Lucy, caressing her in a way the girl felt she would either faint from ecstasy, or scream. She did the last one.

It was middle of the night when exhausted but overwhelmed by joy Lucy lay in Jadis' embrace, not being able to stop caressing her skin, her fingers circled the soft spots and she felt Jadis' beating heart, at first slow and steady, but speeding up when she touched the most sensitive places.

"Aren't you a playful little queen?" Jadis took a deep breath and moved, so she was now lying on her side, and returned the caress.

Lucy's breath fastened again. She felt as if Jadis could touch her deeply inside, coming through her, reaching directly her heart. Was that the Great Magic? She asked herself. But Lucy had no magic powers when Jadis shivered under her touch and her kisses. Lucy thought there must be something even more powerful between them and not yet daring to call it love.

'Although it must be love', she thought at dawn, as they, still tangled together, watched the brightening sky.

"I think I should let you sleep for a while,"

Lucy smiled dreamily and kissing Jadis' chin, she gazed at her, thinking that face had never looked softer and brighter.

"You are so beautiful," she whispered and refrained a giggle as Jadis clearly appreciated the compliment. Her eyes were shining and the lips parted slightly from the frequent kisses.

"So are you," she replied and let Lucy snuggle closer, stroking her hair that was now getting tangled with her own the way it would be hard to tell them apart.

"You are glowing like a star," Lucy added.

"It's because of you, my little queen," Jadis whispered back. Lucy blushed from joy. Those words meant to her more than "I love you" from anybody else.

In the late morning Lucy had to return to Cair Paravel. At first, she was amazed by the silence of that, so crowded the previous day, place. Cair Paravel seemed to be way too big for just one queen. Empty corridors, bedrooms, and especially the vast throne hall, were now cleaned up and somehow unfriendly. She felt she didn't fit there at all. Lucy announced she would be spending her time in the woods, training. Moreover, she sent messages to all the available tournament participants from Corin's list and some more, to report to Cair Paravel the next week. That one week gave her a wonderful excuse to 'disappear' from the castle. And from Narnia, but the last one remained her secret.

"So, you want to tell me that you plan on being here for the entire week?" Jadis smirked, as they sat together later in the evening. Lucy appeared in the Sanctuary with a big bag of spare clothes and her bow with as big supply of arrows. The queen looked at all of that with amusement and a disturbing thought came through Lucy's head that maybe she should have asked first." A soft, but deep kiss chased that thought away.

"You should be careful. I may get used to you being here too much and won't let you go home," Jadis said with her usual playful tone, but Lucy felt the pair of strong arms surrounding her. She snuggled to the tall figure.

"This is my home. I mean..." Wasn't she too bold?

Jadis tensed for a moment.

"As long as you want it, little queen." She replied after a hesitation.

Lucy noticed it was not easy to talk with Jadis about feelings. The queen's affection was visible in her movements, in her smile or the way she looked at Lucy. But she never asked her anything, neither she spoke about love herself.

"The queen smiles much more since you are here, your Majesty," said Asbjørn. Sometimes he visited them and sat in the snow, letting them lean on his soft, white fur, like on a living, big couch, and they rested, watching the sunset, or the shooting stars over the lake.

"You have never made the shooting stars before," he said once to Jadis and Lucy gasped, realizing that everything there was indeed Jadis' personal creation. Lucy forgot the story of the Sanctuary and somehow still treated the place like a part of the Wild Lands of the North. She asked Jadis about it.

"He is right; this is all my world. My lake and my stars. Anything you wish for?" She asked merrily, like the other time. Lucy happily joined the game.

"Can you create an ocean? With stars reflecting in the water?" She said spontaneously, thinking of the beach near to Cair Paravel. Jadis straightened up and for a moment Lucy was afraid she didn't like the idea. But then she sat up herself, as the view before them started to change. At the beginning it seemed like a part of the frozen lake melted, revealing water coming up from under the ice. And then the water spread on the horizon and all of it so strangely fitted the land that after a minute Lucy could swear the sea was there from the beginning. Although she knew it wasn't. She gasped and stared at Jadis, whose entire figure was glowing. The queen turned to her, grinning with pride. Lucy couldn't find the proper words, so she just jumped forward and hugged her tightly.

"It is so amazing!" She shouted and felt her chin being pulled up for a kiss. Asbjørn quietly stood up and removed himself from the area.

"I am glad you like it," Jadis kissed her once more and they lay in the snow. Lucy wished the time would stop.


	24. Nightmares

Lucy woke up, feeling a sudden movement of Jadis lying next to her. Instantly she felt something was different, the queen's eyes were closed, her hands squeezed the pillow and the entire body struggled against an invisible nightmare. Lucy had seen it before, so as before, she grabbed her by the shoulders and shouted her name. This didn't help, though. Jadis twitched and her head bumped against the pillow as if something invisible pinned her down, something strong enough to hold her and make her cry in fear. Lucy cried herself, she held her with her entire strength, yet wasn't able to help. Finally, after maybe a few minutes, maybe an hour (as it seemed to Lucy), the queen woke up. She opened her eyes and looked at the girl, who sat on the bed, staring at her with the face wet from tears.

"What's wrong?" Jadis looked at her in question. Lucy couldn't stop shaking.

"Don't you remember?"

From Jadis' astonished face Lucy realized she really didn't. Unsure, she told her what she just saw.

"I have seen it before, and then you also couldn't... I was so worried!" She burst.

Jadis embraced her and stroked her hair.

"I don't remember." She replied, musing. Lucy could feel her tension.

"It was just a nightmare. Right?"

Jadis smiled.

"Yes. Just a nightmare."

She let Lucy put her head on her chest and soon she noticed how the girl was falling asleep again. She however didn't. She lay there with her eyes open, and stared at the ceiling, and then at the window as the sky started brightening.

The next day Jadis announced they should go back to their trainings.

"I realize that the other matters occupy us greatly and it is safe to say they also give you a certain form of exercise, but that one won't help you in a battle." She smirked pleased, seeing Lucy blush at those words. She couldn't resist mocking her a bit, but softened up immediately when the girl closed to her.

"Then you better train me well." Lucy gave her a long kiss and without further comments she grabbed the sword and pointed it to her chest.

"The little queen gets more and more bold with every day, isn't she?" Jadis blocked her a few seconds later and pinned her to the ground, enjoying the feeling of having the girl right under her. She resisted the temptation of cutting her clothes apart with the sword and stood up.

"Will you resist me for the entire minute at least once?" She mocked mercilessly and received Lucy's series of attacks, still easy to handle. Very easy.

"Are you teasing me for a distraction?" Lucy was irritated, although the constant desire didn't let her to be angry for long. But Jadis was simply too fast for her.

"Is it working?" Jadis smiled sweetly. Lucy had to admit it did. Why not use the same method?

"You should be careful. Challenging a woman can have various consequences." She jumped forward, avoiding Jadis' sword with a quick pirouette. She placed herself behind the queen and with a fluent movement she tangled the sword in the fabric of Jadis' dress. It worked. The surprised queen turned around a second too late. Lucy jumped at her with her entire body weight and threw her out off balance. They both landed in the snow.

"How am I do..." Before she finished the sentence, Jadis managed to turn them around so she was now on top. She sat on Lucy and pinned her hands to the ground.

"Slightly better." She let go of her, giggling. But Lucy could see the impression in her eyes. She took advantage of it immediately. With another jump, she found her sword and again tried to attack Jadis from behind. The queen laughed and blocked her, but this time Lucy was faster and she maneuvered herself to a safe distance. They looked at each other for the next minute, each waiting for the other to start.

"If I manage to block you, will you tell me more about Aslan?"

It worked. Jadis froze and lost her grip on the sword. Lucy would have won, but Jadis turned around furiously and throwing the sword to the ground (so strongly that it hid almost entirely in the ice), she hissed "how dare you!" and started to walk away.

"Jadis! Please!" Lucy didn't mean to surrender easily this time.

"How can you train me, if you yourself can be thrown out of balance by one word?"

Jadis slowed down and for a moment Lucy hoped she would turn back. But she didn't. Lucy watched her going towards the palace and tried to bring herself to balance as well. This couldn't just end like this. Not after... holding back the tears, she also headed to the palace. Inside, she found Jadis standing in the living room. The queen must have noticed her presence, but didn't show it. She stared at the window. Lucy took a deep breath.

"Forgive me."

Silence. Lucy didn't dare to come closer, she leaned over the wall and trying to control her shaking voice, she asked.

"Do you trust me?"

This made Jadis turn around. She was clearly surprised by this question, but still didn't speak a word.

"Because I do. Trust you. I trusted your word the first time we met and I also kept my word. I believed Asbjørn when he said you have changed. I did everything you asked me, I betrayed my best friend and gave him forgetting potion. I fell in love with you although my brother keeps saying the worst possible things about you. But now I ask you. Do you trust me?"

Her voice broke in the last words; she couldn't help it. No matter how stubborn she was, hiding emotions was Jadis' talent, not hers.

"I cannot answer you, little queen," Jadis spoke unexpectedly calmly. Finally, she turned around. Lucy stepped forward and stopped, hesitating. Jadis gazed back at her with an unusual expression of uncertainty.

"I haven't trusted anybody for centuries. It doesn't come easily."

Lucy nodded, relieved. Jadis wasn't angry anymore and that was more than enough.

"Well, I do. As I said, I do trust you and I love you. That means I need to know more about you if we are to be together." Again, the expression of a surprise on Jadis' face. "Don't you want it?" She asked silently. What would she do if Jadis says no? Could she ever come back to Cair Paravel and have a normal life? After everything that happened? Lucy waited for Jadis' answer with a bumping heart, holding her breath.

For a long time Jadis was quiet, so long that Lucy couldn't see anything as her tears were again out of control. Then the queen did something unexpected. She opened the coffer and took out the scrolls, the ones that Lucy brought the other day.

"Alright." She said.

Lucy looked at her with question.

"I will give you answers. But to your other question first. Then you can decide, if what you are asking me now is still relevant."

She took Lucy by the hand and pointed the manuscript. The girl hesitated. The last time she barely touched it and it didn't end well.

"Don't be afraid," Jadis guessed her concern. "With me here, nothing will happen to you. I will make you watch, but not participate. It will be like watching the moving pictures in your home world." Although Lucy didn't understand what she meant exactly, she nodded.

The world before Lucy's eyes changed. She was standing in a green wood, a wood that looked somewhat familiar. Lucy looked around and the formation of the land, the stream nearby and finally the big stone in front of her made her gasp.

"Aslan's table..." she whispered.

"Yes..." To her surprise, Jadis was standing next to her. They both watched the past Narnia as invisible guests, like you watch somebody else's dream. It was strange for Lucy to see one Jadis standing next to her, and another Jadis, closing to the Table, surrounded by dwarves, foxes, wolves and bears. In one of them Lucy recognized the young Asbjørn and it made her feel instantly better.

The other Jadis slowly walked to the Stone Table and suddenly all the creatures around her thrilled, some of them sighed, or screamed, or whispered with excitement, pointing one direction. A big lion appeared on the stone, quite suddenly, nobody saw him approaching, from one moment to another, he was just there. There were even more creatures behind him. Fauns, dryads, various animals, crowded behind Aslan, trying to see clearly what was coming. The two crowds were finally standing in silence, in front of one another and the two leaders closed to each other so much that now there were barely a few meters between them. Lucy could see the other Jadis proud and angry, yet shaken somehow. She could tell she was afraid. The Jadis beside her was silent and stern. Lucy wanted to take her by the hand, but the queen pointed the scene before them.

"Watch out now."

"I am asking you again, Jadis. What is your answer?"

"Never!" The other Jadis hissed.

The lion roared, so loud that the trees shook and the crowd at Jadis' side stepped back, covering ears and heads, but the crowd behind Aslan on the contrary, jumped forward. The battle started. The other Jadis was powerful and fast, no attacker was able to even touch her and soon various stone figures started to replace her enemies, and the lion stood there and watched. When Jadis seemed to be winning, he jumped. He landed directly over her, covered her with his huge body and for a long while Lucy couldn't tell what happened exactly. There was just a chaotic mass of swirling bodies in combat, sometimes the lion shape appeared among them. Once she managed to see a glimpse of Jadis trying to free herself from his grasp. The crowd around seemed to slow down, now she could see Aslan very close, holding Jadis down, he was lying directly on her, pinning her hands to the ground with his huge paws. Jadis struggled and suddenly this struggling started to look disturbingly familiar to the current Jadis' nightmare. Lucy could see her fear and only thanks to the queen next to her, who grabbed her by the shoulder, she didn't jump forward.

"Everything could be different." Lucy heard Aslan's voice. This time the tone was gentle, but why the lion kept on holding Jadis like this? Lucy reminded all the moments Susan and her played with him, she rode on his back and stroke his golden mane. She was so happy then. The view before her didn't fit the Aslan she remembered.

"I... will... never..." The other Jadis struggled more, which caused him to hold her tighter. Suddenly she screamed with pain and at the same time something white jumped at Aslan from the other side. Lucy saw Asbjørn with two more bears trying to grab Aslan's neck. They didn't manage to hurt the lion, but made him stand up and free Jadis. Who quickly composed herself, grabbed her wand and aimed at him. To Lucy's surprise, Aslan didn't fight back. He stood there, calm again, looked around, then his eyes stopped on the bears, still protectively surrounding Jadis.

"All people of Narnia, hear me and obey my words. You let the witch confuse you and turn you away from me. Narnia is divided and the peace is disturbed. I am calling you now, turn back from evil and return to me! I am calling you for the last time. Turn back from the witch and come back to me!"

The two crowds murmured, discussing Aslan's words and Jadis still held her wand high, ready for the attack.

"You have lost here, lion." She said after a while, loud and clear, so her voice was heard in both groups.

"I will never obey you, neither those, who just saw the truth. You are the evil of this world, but these furry idiots are to blind to..."

The roar of Aslan drowned her voice and all the animals covered theirs ears or curled up again, as the lion's roar caused also a powerful blow of the wind. Like a hurricane, it squalled through the forest, breaking some tree branches and the smaller and lighter creatures got thrown up in the air and fell down to the ground painfully as the wind was gone. So was Aslan. Lucy gazed at the current Jadis.

"Keep watching." She told her.

The old Jadis jumped at the stone table and spoke, and this time her voice was so loud that Lucy could feel the ground shaking.

"Narnia is mine. No more Aslan. Now I am your queen!" She raised her arms and Lucy could feel the air getting colder. After a while the first snowflakes covered the grass and the animals were escaping in panic, because Jadis started turning into stone everybody who didn't kneel before her.

"Then I froze the land." The current Jadis said and the vision ended.

Lucy took a deep breath. Nothing whirled or made her dizzy this time, she just realized they were standing in the palace again.

"What did Aslan ask you at the beginning?"

There was a long silence before Jadis replied.

"He wanted me to…," she hesitated, "… to accept him as my king." Never before Lucy heard this shaking in Jadis´ voice.

 _'Why didn't you?'_ She wanted to say, listening to her inner child's that still thought about her childhood meetings with Aslan. But the adult Lucy understood. To her relief Jadis didn't oppose when she took her hand in her own.

"You should have told me earlier." She whispered. She felt Jadis embracing her with the other arm. She clung to her.

"No, I shouldn't have. You were not ready."

Lucy looked up to see her eyes.

"I am now."

She felt the queen's embrace getting tighter.


	25. Lucy s Army

One beautiful, warm and sunny day in Narnia the Rabbit decided to go for a trip that was longer than his usual walks, to the meadow and back to his cozy hole in the ground that was his home. The main reason was his growing appetite for a particular kind of flowers, little white ones, with "cup" shaped petals. They were the sweetest flowers he had ever tried and although the regular rabbits preferred rather carrots, salads, green leaves or even grass, he fancied those little flowers a lot more. He was also not a regular rabbit. He was one of the Talking Rabbits, and his family tree was centuries old, perhaps it started even together with Narnia itself, when Aslan chose the animals to become the Intelligent Ones, as the Rabbit thought about himself. To be honest, he was a little bit proud, and felt in general not only smarter than the regular rabbits (which wouldn't be that hard, really), but also wiser than the other Talking Animals. He loved to brag about it, which was very irritating. But nevertheless, he was also cute looking and impressive, at least to the smaller animals. Like the Hedgehog, for example. The Hedgehog met the Rabbit on the path and would have passed him by after a polite "hello", but that time something else got his attention, so he stood in the middle of the path and the Rabbit almost tripped over him. If you never tripped over a hedgehog you should know the experience doesn't belong to the nice ones.

"Get out of my... what are you looking at?" the Rabbit shouted, very annoyed, as the Hedgehog not only almost made him trip, but was ignoring him completely, staring at something above the bushes. The Rabbit had no choice but to also look up.

"There is something going on at the field belonging to Cair Paravel. It looks like a bottle. The Hedgehog said slowly. They stood in the shadow of a gigantic oak tree, one of those that also must have remembered the beginning of the world. The Rabbit looked down and shook his head with disapproval.

"You mean a BATTLE, not a bottle. Yes, it looks like it. But there are no enemies around, so why would there be a battle?" He wondered, observing hundreds of arrows appearing above the trees, and disappearing again."

"Yes, yes. No enemies. Of course. So why are they shooting?"

"How can I know," The Rabbit felt irritated and jumped a little bit closer, to see what was going on at the field. And there was a lot going on! At first, he saw a formation of centaurs, fully armed, shooting arrows, one after another so there were always waves of arrows in the air, as when one finished, the other one was just starting. The Rabbit thought it looked like a rain and how poor would be any creature who would find itself on the opposite side of the field. After a few minutes the rain of arrows stopped and suddenly, a dozen or more of dwarves ran from between the centaurs' legs, carrying heavy axes and swords and created two formations, shouting loudly and challenging each other. They ran in pairs and were hitting the opponent with everything they had, trying not to kill, but to threw one another out of balance.

"Look at that..." The hedgehog apparently also decided to watch, as he joined the Rabbit and stared in amazement.

A bright silhouette on the white horse entered the field and shouted to the dwarves.

"Faster! You need to be faster. Do not hesitate and do not break the formation. Use your second hand as well. Yes! Two swords are better than one."

She was dressed in male's armor and from a distance she could have easily been mistaken with prince Corin, of even King Peter. But when she moved closer to the edge of the forest, her long, golden hair was clearly visible and the Rabbit had no doubt that it was a woman with not only one, but two swords in her hands, manipulating them with acrobatic skills and incredible strength, rushing around the field, shouting orders and soon the dwarves stepped aside and the other rain of arrows flew in the air. The way she moved looked very disturbingly familiar and for a moment the Rabbit forgot his irritation.

"If I didn't know better I would think the White Witch is back." He murmured with concern. He also lived longer than the regular rabbits, long enough to remember the Winter Times very well. But then the woman on the horse turned her face in their direction, and laughed. The Rabbit shook his head again, with relief. Ridiculous thoughts! That was no one other but queen Lucy before them, for Aslan's Sake. His mind must have tricked him. Mr. Hedgehog nearby didn't seem to pay attention at all, he was chewing something that he found in the grass.

"Hey, that's my flowers! Give it to me!"

In the meantime, queen Lucy, who didn't realize her training was watched, slowed down and looked at her troops with apprehension.

"Perfect!" Now blow your horns and trumpets, show how powerful you are!" She said and the centaurs took the horns and trumpets and blew so loud that even the dwarves on the field could barely stand on their feet and some of them were covering their ears.

Queen Lucy laughed at that and commented that those who cannot stand the loud music should maybe put some wool around their heads for protection (and received a burst of laughter and an applause from the centaurs) and added that she herself had heard dwarf babies crying louder. Some of the dwarves looked at her very ashamed and a few of them felt offended, but soon the training was over and Lucy announced a great amount of beer awaiting them in the castle.

"But don't you even think of getting drunk. We are training tomorrow at the same time. You need to stay focused!" She smiled to her troops and also headed back to the castle.

Lucy left her horse in one of the stables and closed to Cair Paravel from the side entry, so she couldn't see a rumor at the main gate. Neither she looked towards the pier, where the shape of Splendor Hyaline at the dock, and an excited crowd of villagers would tell that the Queen Susan and King Edmund had returned. Lucy passed the side door, then the kitchen, to finally close to the stairs when she heard unusually raised voices. She ran towards them intrigued and then froze. The guards that happened to belong to the family of Mr. Tumnus were holding a big, white fox, tied up and struggling. Lucy recognized Tom.

"I am asking you for the last time. How did you get to queen Lucy's bedroom, traitor?"


	26. The Attack

Mr. Tumnus had many relatives and since the Winter passed, most of them were rewarded for their courage in war by the High King Peter himself and became the royal guards. They happily watched over the safety of the kings and queens, even if there was no real threat to them, as every single creature in Narnia seemed to adore their new rulers (at least that's what they thought). But they remembered that the times were not always as good to them and, similar as Mr. Tumnus, they never forgot a danger can come out of nowhere. So one late morning, when one of the maids, who was also a faun, spotted a white fox in queen Lucy's bedroom, she grabbed the creature by the tale, tied up to the bed with her own belt and raised an alarm.

"What were you doing in the queen's bedroom, traitor?" The fauns surrounded the fox and shouted one through another. "How did you get here?" "This is..." Mr. Tumnus' uncle was the chief of Cair Paravel Guard and he frowned, looking down at the animal that was now curled up and stared at the floor."

"He looks like one of the old spies of the White Witch. Lock him up!" He ordered and the fauns grabbed the fox and started to carry him to the dungeons, where after the war all the suspects used to await the trial.

"You don't understand; I must see queen Lucy immediately! I have a very important message." The fox yelled desperately, but the fauns didn't pay attention to the words. There was a great antagonism between the fauns and white foxes, since many of them used to be indeed on the side of the White Witch. Mr. Tumnus' uncle could swear he had seen that particular fox before and he was going to interrogate him personally. But before they passed the hall and got to the cellars, the gate opened and king Edmund, queen Susan, prince Corin, and their escort with Mr. Tumnus on the front walked in. There was such a crowd in the great hall that both sides got blocked. If one looked at the king and queen more closely he could see that they were in a great hurry and it didn't seem like the journey to Calormen ended happily, to say the least. King Edmund was angry and concerned and queen Susan's face was red from a long crying. Their company was also showing visible signs of exhaustion.

"You need to rest, sister," Edmund said to Susan and turned towards the fauns. "By Aslan's Mane, what is going on here?" He stared at the fox.

"He broke into queen Lucy's bedroom." Explained the maid.

"Did he really?" Edmund gazed at the fox again and if the circumstances were different, he would be amused. But it wasn't a day for amusement, so he felt mostly irritated that such non important things are coming in his way.

"Your Highness!" The fox yelled, looking at him with hope. "Archenland is under attack!" He shouted before the faun manage to gag him. Edmund gasped.

"Let him speak!" He ordered and to the fox's relief, the ties got loose and he could stand on his own legs again, although his entire body was shaking.

"The Calormenes! They are attacking Anward at this very moment!"

Suddenly there was lots of noise around them since everybody started to repeat and discuss the news.

"Silence!" Edmund yelled. He turned back to the fox.

"How do you know that?"

"I have..." He hesitated.

"He is lying, your Highness." The fauns surrounded him again. "How can he know what is going on the other side of the mountains when he is here, and still didn't explain what he was doing in the queen's bedroom! Do you think you can get free by telling us stories?" He wanted to slap the fox but Edmund stopped him.

"It is not a lie, unless more creatures came up with the same story today, which is unlikely. When our ship docked, there was a stag awaiting us on the pier. He also said about the attack on Anward. Prince Rabadash showed his true face in his hometown and we have barely escaped ourselves," he added and asked the fox with a gentler tone.

"Tell us more. How many Calormenes? What did you see exactly?"

"I... didn't see them personally. But I have heard about it! I swear it's true!" The fox waved his tail trying to avoid the touch of the fauns that wanted to grab him again as the chief didn't intend to leave such an offence unattended, no matter what circumstances occurred.

"He still didn't explain us why he broke to the queen's bedroom. I am asking you for the last time...," in this moment queen Lucy came in. The fox twitched, freed himself from the fauns and jumped in her direction.

"Your Majesty! Help me, please!"

Lucy gasped and paled, but quickly controlled herself, thinking that they probably caught him in the wardrobe after he had passed the mirror. Which led to a question, why the maid, or the guards were searching through her wardrobe. Lucy decided to leave that matters for later, now she focused on saving Tom, who in the meantime clung to her, trying to hide in her arms. She took a deep breath.

"What in the world is going on here! Edmund?! Susan? I didn't expect you return this soon. What's wrong?"

Again everybody started to talk at the same time. Queen Susan burst into cry, Mr. Tumnus, with an expressive gesticulation started to tell her that apparently prince Rabadash wanted to imprison Susan and force her to marriage and they had barely escaped on ship, while the chief of Cair Paravel Guard demanded an immediate investigation on the fox and wanted queen Lucy to check her chambers to make sure nothing from her jewelry was missing. All of it sounded at once, so for a moment Lucy thought that they demanded an immediate investigation of Rabadash hiding in Lucy's bedroom and the fox tried to force her sister to marry him on the ship.

"Everybody just shut up! Now!" Despaired Lucy yelled so loud that even Edmund gasped and stared at her in surprise. But it worked. Taking a deep breath and composing herself she spoke quickly with a tone of someone who better would not be disturbed.

"First of all. I know this fox! You should listen to his warning in the first place. My troops and I have been training for weeks and are ready for battle. Which means, we can head to Anward now! Edmund! You can tell me the story later. Susan, I also think you need some rest. Any questions?"

There was such a power emanating from her that not only Mr. Tumnus, but even Edmund didn't oppose. Still holding Tom in her arms, Lucy turned back to the door and rushed to find her troopers to give the proper orders. As she parted from the others and was sure she wouldn't be heard, she whispered to Tom to run to the forest and return to the Sanctuary as soon as possible. When the fox disappeared in the bushes, Lucy turned around and to her surprise she found Corin that apparently followed her unnoticed and looked after the fox. Lucy frowned. She didn't even think about him and was about to order the boy to come back to the castle immediately when Corin ran close to her and with a silent, whisper like voice, said:

"So, is he going to ask the White Witch for help?"

If Lucy had something in her hands she would have certainly dropped it, luckily she didn't, so she laughed loudly, as if she heard a good joke, seeing her soldiers coming back to the field.

"Corin, this is not the time for jokes," she said hoping desperately that Coring really joked, or even if he had heard something it was no more than rumors. The boy however was serious and also looked around, checking if they were not heard.

"I am not joking. Lucy. I know. You can trust me."

Lucy paled. She almost lost control like before with Mr. Tumnus. Cursing in her thoughts, she tried again. "How did you come to such a ridiculous idea?" She really hoped she sounded convincing.

"Alright." Corin sighed, not willing to back off. "Let's say, I have noticed you have a secret a long time ago, but I have never said anything to anybody, hoping that one day you can trust me. Alright? You can trust me."

The boy's tone was very serious and sad. Lucy hesitated. How it was possible that from the all people that child could know? Was she not careful enough? She was thinking in panic and the young prince closed to her again.

"I know she is alive. I know, Lucy, and I didn't say it to anybody. Is that not enough for you to believe me at all?"

"What made you think that?" She pulled him to the distant corner of the field. The troops were gathering and she could be called any minute now. Corin also turned around, but seeing that he won, he couldn't refrain a proud smile.

"Alright." He started cheerfully. Way too cheerfully as for the situation, Lucy thought. "So, it all started from our trainings. I was trying to remember everything you told me, to learn, you know." He was speaking quickly and enthusiastically. Lucy calmed down. At least he didn't seem shocked like Mr. Tumnus. "After a few days I couldn't not notice that you were doing extra trainings, without me. It was obvious." He underlined the last word. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"There were some techniques you couldn't manage at first, even you, remember? Like the speed of shooting in motion, that was so tiring. And the next night - boom! You were a master in it. So I was sure there was someone else there, who trained you. I just didn't know, who. I was suspecting one of the centaurs, at first, or Mr Tumnus, he was always so devoted to you. So I started to discreetly follow you to figure that out. And that was the most puzzling, since I couldn't find anyone like that. Instead, I noticed you were disappearing from the castle for hours and reappearing again, although nobody could see you coming back.

"What are you talking about, Corin?" Lucy asked again, still trying to keep a neutral tone. It was impossible for him to see the gate after all, so how? But Corin surprised her again.

"So one night I was extra careful. I saw you entering your room and I went there a few minutes later. You were not in there. I decided to wait. I hid myself under your bed. I almost fell asleep in there, but in the middle of the night you came out... of your wardrobe! I could see how you took off your shoes, you kicked them under the bed so I could touch them, and they were wet and cold. So I made sure you had an ability to go to some other place using your wardrobe."

"You should be punished for sneaking into other people's room in the first place. Corin, what in the world were you thinking? You merely didn't notice me coming back and in the dark it only seemed like I appeared out of the wardrobe." Lucy stated stiffly. But the boy looked at her knowingly as he wasn't done yet.

"Of course, so as soon as you went for breakfast I jumped in there to check, but I couldn't find anything. Except a big mirror behind your dresses. That mirror was cold as ice. How could that be?"

Corin broke, seeing on Lucy's face that he finally got her attention. Lucy stared at him with wide open eyes and looked if she was fighting with herself, to believe him, or not. So he continued quickly.

"And then, you got your cold."

"My cold?!" Lucy startled. The young prince grinned triumphantly.

"I heard the medic, everybody was so surprised, because as they say, for the last fifteen years nobody has ever got a cold in Narnia. So how could you? I was asking myself. I couldn't figure it out. But finally I did. Partly because of King Edmund. No, he doesn't know," he added quickly, seeing Lucy's panic on the face. "But Edmund was mentioning the Witch quite often. And everybody was always getting upset about it.

"Of course, we were. Everybody is," Lucy added. But Corin smiled at her and shook his head.

"Yes, but you were getting upset differently. You were furious at your brother, not the White Witch. I could see that. Besides, once, I have heard Susan talking about you and your new dresses with king Peter. She said if she didn't know better, she would swear you were in love. I could also see it. You were as distracted and glowing as your sister was, but there was nobody around you who would explain that. You know, I always see other people's moods, because nobody pays attention to me. I wanted to talk to you already during the tourney, but there was so much going on, and I needed to make sure. I didn´t want to follow king Peter the other day. What I really wanted was that you all would think I did follow him, so nobody would look for me, and then I would hide and follow you wherever you were sneaking into. But that didn't work out, so I decided to wait until we come back from Calormen. So much happened there, I tell you! We needed to protect queen Susan and everything, so I forgot all about it for a while, but I reminded as soon as I saw this white fox. Come on, a white fox here? The guards are right after all. He must be coming from her."

Corin's words fell deeply in Lucy's heart. How careless she was! To not notice the most obvious, to underestimate the boy like this. She thrilled.

"Corin, listen to me, it is important. Nobody can know, do you understand?" She whispered, afraid of every tree, every piece of bush maybe hiding a Talking Creature. At that time Lucy didn't know about the Talking Mice yet, if she did, like it is said in the other Chronicles, her fear would have been much bigger.

"I haven't told it to anyone, so why should I now? I was just hoping that one day you would take me with you. You know, to where she is. How do you get there, anyway?"

"You really felt the mirror cold as ice?" She replied with question. The boy nodded.

Lucy smiled, relieved. That meant the boy indeed didn't feel any hatred towards Jadis. And why should he? She realized Corin was born three years after the war. All he heard were rumors and myths. It also meant, her heart jumped at that thought, there could have been more and more people who wouldn't hate Jadis. Or the children, ready to forgive her. And one day... She felt so excited she wanted to hug the young prince out of joy.

"Forgive me, my friend. I highly underestimated you." She confessed, but at the same moment they both heard the centaurs' call.

"The troops! We need to get ready!" She hesitated.

"I am going with you!" Corin insisted. Lucy looked worried.

"Corin, king Edmund will never agree to take you to the battle, you know it!"

The boy however was prepared also for this.

"But I can at least ride with you to the border? Come one, please! And on the way you can tell me more."

Lucy sighed. He didn't give her choice. They both rushed through the field.


	27. The Battle

"Kill every male, from one day to a hundred years old. The goods, women, are to your disposal."

The voice of Rabadash echoed in his head and the soldier smiled. This was the chance to prove himself. The years of service in Tashbaan lacked challenges. He needed a great war, conquest and leadership, the best would be his own. He had no chance for the throne, but at least he should have been the leader of this ride, not that idiot prince. However, if Rabadash´s desire for a woman put some courage to is head, so be it. Without him, he would have been stuck in the capitol city, were all the slave women seemed to wear the same face. Dull, passive, emotionless. To get a woman from the North, that would be something! And after they get Archenland, they will head towards Narnia! The very name made his heart beat faster. The mysterious land was full of secrets. The ones invited to the narnian tourney came back with amazing stories. There were mermaids in the sea, treated equally with normal people. There were tree spirits, fauns, centaurs, and all kinds of talking animals. He could see a few of them in circus before, but there they refused to talk unless beaten to the blood. Narnia simply fascinated him.

As they crossed the desert and stopped by the first encountered stream for some rest and the fresh water, he looked up at the mountains and wondered. Rabadash´s plan was to take Anward by surprise and if succeeded, his dream about Narnia as the next conquest could come true. The first stream was also the beginning of the forest and from there, the paths went higher and became narrow. It was something the calormenian horses were not accustomed to. Exhausted after the desert, they continued the journey unwillingly, especially when the land was so full of water and juicy grass. But they did climb, after receiving painful reminders from the whips showing them that they had no choice.

Their travel lasted another day and the Calormenes were forced to prepare the next camp for the night. The air got fresher and even they, so arrogant and cruel in their hearts, couldn´t not appreciate the beauty of the forest. The trees were somehow thicker and taller than the trees they knew. Especially their leaves were different. There were no palms, but huge oaks, acorns and birches, and strange, huge trees with no leaves at all, but something that looked like millions of little needles instead. They were dark green and sharp on the edges. The Calormenes didn't know any conifers, so that was what they thought of great pines and spruces.

They climbed in silence now, afraid they could be spotted by accidental travelers and anyone bringing warning to the fortress would ruin their mission. Of course, they had no knowledge of a secret winter land and its queen sending animals to watch over Narnia and Archenland, neither they knew of a certain little boy, who looked the same as prince Corin and happened to overhear their plans back in Tashbaan. But, as one would say, that belongs to somebody else´s story.

It is enough to say that the Calormenes got very disappointed. King Lune got warned and managed to lock the gate in the last minute. What a failure! Poor Rabadash, he thought, not without a hint of satisfaction, seeing the fury on his not very respected superior´s face. Since that barbarian woman appeared, the prince lost his head, he murmured. First, Rabadash intended to keep her in Tashbaan by force. But as queen Susan and her brother escaped on ship, Rabadash decided the attack on Anward, a little neighbor that was the only barrier between the Empire and Narnia, would bring him more than chasing them personally through the sea. What Rabadash avoided to mention was that he was awfully sea sick every time he travelled to Narnia, so his grace and combat skills on waters were far less impressive. Of course, saying that out loud would cost anybody his own head.

"O Greatest Son of the One, Who-shall-live-forever-Tisroc, what ought we to do now? The gate is closed and the surprise is gone. There are demons in these lands, they must have warned king Lune and our Gods deserted us in this barbarian…

"Hold your mouth, dog!" Rabadash yelled and the whip landed on the soldier´s back. He curled up in pain and a deep bow at the same time.

"We will take this castle even if I have to kill every single barbarian myself! They are not worth the sweat of our horses! Cut the tree! We will make a ram and break this gate. There is no power able to stop the Son of Tisroc, the Glory of Tash is upon us!"

It took some effect on the more faithful troopers and soon they all got to work. The trees were strong and hard, so another couple of hours passed, before they were ready.

"We outnumber them anyway," he thought listening to the rhythmical ´thumb´ against the gate. Soon the rain of arrows started to fall from the castle, but it did them little harm.

"These fools think our shields are made from sand!" They laughed and kept on attacking the gate. The ladders would let them force the wall faster, but they trusted the surprise strategy too much and they had no other plan. So they kept on forcing the gate and perhaps they would have gotten through finally; if another distraction didn´t appear.

Valiant trumpets and horns sounded in the forest. The help was clearly approaching, from Narnia´s side!

"But how?!" There was no time to think. "Back on the horses! Attack!" Sounded everywhere.

This was the real battle now; they could forget the plan. Rabadash was overwhelmed by rage. He would win or die, to surrender was out of question. The previous talks about spilling as little of narnian blood as possible, and keeping only Anward for the time being, were now forgotten. The Calormenes saw the strangest army they could ever imagine. Were those really animals fighting? He saw a line of leopards and panthers that now caused all the calormenian horses panic, making it impossible to control them, so the most of the warriors had to jump down and fight on foot. Which was very risky because of the centaurs (may Tash curse those devil creatures!). But they worked their ways wildly and fiercely with swords, cutting every horse they got, sometimes confusing the centaur with their own steeds.

The battle became chaotic and fast, but he, so far, was unharmed. Spotting the leopards quickly enough, he jumped off his horse as well and killed maybe ten of those beasts. Cutting his way between the narnian dwarves he saw a group of narnian archers heading to the side. He guessed their plan, they obviously intended to surround them. He looked to the right. Were those big walking stones really giants, fighting in narnian army? And he could swear he saw a white bear among them. What an awful gathering of beasts! He called five men to go with him and ordered them to sneak in between the rocks, towards the archers. There was one on the front, clearly looking like a leader. Was that the High King? No, according to the rumors, King Peter was supposed to fight the other giants, far away on the North. Must have been king Edmund then. But he just saw King Edmund dueling prince Rabadash on the other side. So it must be one of the queens after all, he smirked. He kept on watching.

The silhouette with a shining helmet and royal signs on her armor was holding two swords and just cut the heads of his two men. He gasped. If their women fight like that, he could finally understand the obsession of the prince. To possess a woman like this, that was the challenge he waited for. He rushed forward, but as the battle reached its culmination, he had to protect himself more efficiently. The centaurs seemed to spot his maneuver and headed towards him. He managed to stab one in the side and the centaur screamed with pain and tripped. The other two rushed with help, leaving the Calormene alone. This was his chance. Seeing the archers busy with taking their positions, he jumped towards the shining armor in front of him and with one fluent movement he cut the leg of her horse. The animal howled with pain and fell heavily to the ground.

He blinked. Where was the queen? She either should be under the horse, or, if she would be fast enough to jump off, she should have landed right before him. Then he noticed a movement behind him and threw himself to the side, which saved his life. The queen stood on top of a big rock. How did that happen? When did she…? The rock was at least ten feet high. The queen somehow managed to jump there from the falling horse, so fast that he didn´t notice. The soldier fell his blood boiling. This was his moment. He would show this barbarian (there he used a few words that would look not nice in the story) what it means to be a real, trained, calormenian warrior.

With his fastest maneuver he tried to stab her legs, but she gracefully jumped down and it was his turn to jump now, in order to avoid one of her swords. Calormenian swords were sharp and slightly bent, which usually was giving them a great advantage as the enemy´s defense was prepared for a sword as straight as their own. It was a marvelous technique he now used, it usually let him throw the enemy´s weapon out of his hands. There however, it didn´t seem to work. She acted as if she had a great experience with calormenian swords and it was very upsetting. So was her speed. She jumped down and for a moment her foot really stood on his own sword, bounced from it, to enable her the smooth landing. He was furious. With his full power, he leaned forward and aimed both, his sword and a dagger, at her, feeling that now or never. And felt a sharp pain in his side, first, in the arm, later. She threw him on the ground. As the sword was ripped out of his hand, he stared at her with wide open eyes. He wanted at least to know the name of the one, who defeated him.

"Who are you?" He asked with a hoarse voice. The shining silhouette took off her helmet. The last thing he saw were the long, golden hair and icy, blue eyes.

"I am Jadis. The true queen of Narnia." She cut his throat.


	28. Intervention

Now we have to come back to the time when Tom got caught in Cair Paravel. The same day in the morning, Jadis stood over the enchanted map of Narnia, and watched something with attention. She moved her hand over Cair Paravel, first, then, over the sea, as the map showed not only Narnia, but the neighbor lands as well, including a big part of water, reaching beyond the Seven Islands. The queen spent some time staring at the sea, and then, her hand moved South. Something dragged her attention over there, for she made another piece of 'land' grow in her hands and sat comfortably on the snow to observe it longer.

"The map is bigger than before, isn´t it?"

Asbjørn approached her slowly and also stared at the floating ice sculptures. Jadis nodded. For the next minutes they both were sitting in silence and watching, until Jadis snapped and gazed at something so small that for a while Asbjørn couldn´t recognize.

"What the…," she murmured and after the next while he knew. A bunch of moving spots on the map revealed a big group of riders, trespassing the desert between Calormen and Archenland. The queen and the bear exchanged looks.

"Call Tom, immediately! To the gate!" Jadis ordered and her sleigh appeared out of nowhere. A moment later she was rushing through the icy field.

Jadis raised her arms and the floating "map" of Narnia followed her, making a particular impression on those, who saw her. The other bears, foxes, especially the silvery white Silvester, sensed that something was up, and also followed the queen, so by the time she reached the gate, there was a crowd of animals gathering on the snow. The sleigh stopped and Jadis jumped out. The map also slowed down and spread itself between her and all the creatures.

"There are some things as certain as the sun rising in the morning. It´s a miracle that the Calormenes waited fifteen years with the conquest. Putting children in charge of the entire country only to take revenge on me, idiot! The first one has no idea what it means to be an actual king, the second is completely stupid, and despaired to appear better than the older brother, the third one blindly flirts with the enemy and the only one with some potential is too young and unexperienced to handle a war. She is not ready. For heaven´s sake, she is not ready."

"You still care about Narnia after all, don´t you?"

She answered to Asbjørn´s comment with a deadly frown.

"What are you going to do?" He asked.

"What I have to." Jadis replied and looked around. In the next minutes, she was speaking loudly the names of various places in Narnia, and to each of them, one or more creatures stepped forward. Their task was to use the portal and carry the message to the other side. The Calormenes were attacking Archenland. Gather all defense. Jadis had entire net of trees and animals that informed her what was happening on the other side. Now she used that and soon Lucy´s army was joined by wild foxes, bears, dwarves from distant areas, and even giants, not the ones from Ettinsmoor, but the gentle ones from the far North, that swore loyalty to queen Lucy, as "the other queen ordered".

After Tom got back and brought more news, Jadis stayed by the cave only with Asbjørn, and watched, day and night. At the moment of the battle, she didn´t take her eyes from Lucy and with every minute got more concerned.

"There is too many of them and she didn´t take the cover. The archers stopped on top of the hill, how stupid! They will surround them." She was circling the map and talking to herself. And the map was showing the situation getting more serious with every minute. The Archenland was saved, but the narnian troops got involved with a fierce battle and the Calormenes were well trained. So far, Lucy avoided their attention, but Jadis saw how the group of soldiers spotted her and headed towards her, closing her in a little valley. Before Lucy realized, she got attacked. She managed to throw one off his horse, but there were five more approaching. Where were the others? The archers went ahead, no, one of the centaurs just shoot the Calormene that was attacking Lucy. But he also got injured a moment later. From what?

"Bastards," Jadis whispered. She realized the Calormenes were heading for horses, animals and centaurs first. Throwing knives at a great distance, trying to cut the legs. Everything was going on so fast that she could see Lucy getting confused. That could cost her life. Jadis couldn´t stand it any longer. With a flash of light she changed her clothes into the narnian armor, identical with Lucy´s, and headed to the gate.

"You can´t!" Asbjørn shouted with fear.

"Watch me." Jadis touched the necklace taken from Lucy the other day. She concentrated, whispered her name, and jumped. The bear gasped. The ice-wall opened.

Lucy was getting confused indeed. The battle was much more chaotic than she expected and most of her wonderful strategy plans turned out to be impossible. There were too many things going on at the same time and she wasn´t able to think ahead, seeing the Calormenes dividing into wild groups and changing too fast to follow. The ground however was her advantage. It was a rocky valley, full of caves, little, sharp rocks, big enough to hide a centaur, but the little streams with tricky, deeper spots, caused some difficulties to both sides. Lucy fell into one as well, shooting a Calormene successfully with her bow, but fell off the horse a second later. In that moment another attacker showed up from behind and reached her side with his sword. When Lucy screamed with pain and shock, the soldier suddenly fell down. Lucy´s eyes widened, as the shiny silhouette appeared behind his dead body. Before Lucy regained her voice, Jadis pulled her towards herself.

"How…" Lucy managed to whisper as they kneeled to hide in the thick bush.

"I will explain later." And she pressed Lucy´s wound with her hand. Lucy clenched her teeth to not scream with pain, but after a while she felt relief.

"It will close in no time. Now let me finish the fight for you. This goes beyond your trainings." And Jadis kissed her lips and jumped out of the cover. In the next couple of minutes Lucy couldn´t see much, but soon she heard narnian cheers all over. Archenland was saved.

"Lucy? Queen Lucy? Where are you?" Corin´s voice echoed in the valley, now quiet and only blood coloring the stream water was showing the happenings of the day. Corin, who sneaked into the battle and only a miracle or a simple luck let him go through it unharmed, was now the only one who spotted that Lucy was missing and went looking for her. Rabadash and all his people who survived were now tied up, waiting for their trial. But Corin didn´t forget who also was supposed to come with help, and although he didn´t really expect to see the White Witch in person, he was looking around very carefully, wondering, what queen Lucy might have been doing. And so it was that he came across the bush in the moment when Jadis was coming back to the injured queen, and he saw them.

"Great heavens," he sighed with an awe, as Jadis stared at him completely surprised. Lucy grabbed her hand quickly.

"He´s a friend. He also saw the ice. I will explain later." She smirked. The boy was grinning at them joyfully.

"It is really you! I am so happy to meet you! I am Corin. Prince Corin of Archenland." He said so unceremoniously that even Jadis couldn´t refrain a smile. Lucy giggled.

"I am afraid there is no time for further pleasantries." Speaking this, she moved her hand in the air. The shimmering portal, barely visible, appeared instantly.

"Wait!" Lucy jumped with a sudden urge to stop her, she felt as if something heavy moved in her stomach. Jadis turned around and leaned down to kiss her.

"I will be waiting for you, my love," she said unexpectedly. Never before Lucy heard those words. It was painful to watch Jadis disappearing in the gate.

Jadis reappeared in the Sanctuary. In the cave, the bear and the animals were gone. The only thing she saw was a huge lion, standing there and waiting for her.

[Author's Note. Chapter 27 is corrected, sorry for the mistakes. This one is one before the last, the big "finale" will be published on Sunday. Thanks again for all the reviews!]


	29. The Last Spell

"Jadis. We meet again."

Aslan spoke and his voice echoed in the cave. He was so big that his head almost touched the ceiling and he covered the exit completely. Normally Jadis would try to cut his throat with her swords, but it all happened too quickly. He was standing so close to the gate that he trapped her between himself and the ice wall that locked instantly behind her. Jadis twisted, trying to cut his legs instead, but as she had so little space for the maneuver, he easily threw her on the ground with his claws. The swords hit the ice and suddenly disappeared.

"How did you…," she couldn't control the shaking of her voice.

"You broke this rule first, witch! With the moment you crossed the gate. Did you forget our pact?" He roared and she tried to turn her face from the hot breath, but he was too close. So close that although she protected herself with the entire power, she couldn´t move away. The lion pinned her wrists to the ground and the more she struggled, the more he leaned over her.

"I only did it to protect Lucy." She regained her voice. Aslan stared at her for a long while and then he lowered his head and sniffed her from bottom to the top, touching her with his nose. Jadis shuddered from disgust. "What do you want?!"

The lion's gaze was almost gentle, as was his voice as he spoke.

"You have taken my beloved Lucy away from me. You destroyed her faith in me, you controlled her and ruled Narnia through her hands. Did you really think I let you continue, witch?"

He growled so loud that everything in the cave shook.

"I didn't control Lucy and you know it. She chose me herself. Therefore, she is mine. Did you forget the rules? Leave us in peace!"

"Don't speak of rules, witch! You used the connection with little Lucy to break the spell, do you deny?"

"I did it to protect her, you fool! If you care about her as you claim, you could see the Calormenes would have killed her in a second without me.

"And you predicted it all, didn't you?" He continued gently. "You would save Narnia, gain the trust of Lucy, first, then, all of them, one after another, would fall for your charm. Again. And they wouldn't even know that you stand behind their decisions. Clever, my beautiful Jadis, but not clever enough."

"How dare you speak to me in this manner." She hissed. He stared at her eyes, and could see fear in them. For a moment it seemed like he pitied her, and his grip softened. But then the hot tongue ran over Jadis face and she screamed with fury.

"The emperor… He will know what you are. You have no right…"

"I have every right, Jadis. You, who caused suffering to thousands, you, who were turning into stone everyone who not obeyed you. You deserve the punishment and the executioner is me." And he started to tear apart her armor with his teeth and claws, one part after another. Jadis struggled fiercely, but she couldn't get free. She trembled and when the tongue reached under the lower part of her tunic, she cried.

"Please, no…"

Aslan looked at her in surprise and apprehension.

"Are you asking me for mercy, witch?"

He looked at her face. She was shivering and trying to hold back the tears.

"After all these centuries, did I manage to make you cry, Jadis?"

"Is that what you want?" She whispered.

Aslan made a sound that almost resembled a cat's purring. Then he sighed, not letting her go, and said equally silently, but for Jadis it was deafening.

"I want you to love me. I always did."

"You have no idea what love is."

"Oh, yes, I do. Jadis, I will make you mine. At last."

And he ripped off her tunic. She screamed in terror, but a strange thing happened at the same moment. The gate changed into a swirling whirl of icy cloud, it surrounded Aslan and sucked him back to the ice wall. The lion roared furiously and tried to come back. But the spell was holding again.

"Time's up, bastard." Jadis composed herself and stood up. She fixed her clothes quickly and was now standing again furious and as triumphant, as in the old days, and stared at him, proud and cold.

"You could be here only as long as I was on the other side. You should have known better, your old fool. Pathetic lion, who cannot control is desire. And you claim yourself as kind? Mark my words, everyone will know about your assault. You are no different than those wild beasts who tortured me before. You are as wild, as primitive and…

"Silence, witch!" He roared again, so loud that she silenced indeed, as the cave echoed his voice, it seemed almost like he was still there, she could feel his smell on her skin and it disgusted her. "I was every faun and centaur who touched you that day. I was torturing you, as you caused so many to suffer before. It was your punishment."

Jadis paled. For a moment it looked like she was going to faint. Her breath fastened and her knees bent, but she controlled herself again and the mocking tone came back to her voice.

"Oh Aslan, that´s pathetic. To cover your own desire under the form of centaurs and the excuse to punish me. You could take my body, but you will never get me and you know it. It bothers you a lot, isn´t it?"

"Remember who you are talking to, witch! I cannot enter your world, but I can forbid anybody else to come back to you!"

The fear came back to Jadis' eyes.

"That´s what you are after." She said with the shaking voice. "You have no reason to punish her. She never did anything against you."

"I can smell your fear even here. You think I will let you just take her from me? Narnia is my world, Jadis, and you could be a part of my world, too. Accept me as your king, as I asked you many times.

"And my answer is still the same. You are neither king, nor god you claim to be. I am not one of your toys and I will never be. Even you cannot break the law. With the moment Lucy gave the forgetting potion to Mr. Tumnus she became a traitor to you. She is mine."

"No, witch. I was the one who gave Lucy dream about the ice wall. I was the one who created the link between you two. I helped Lucy find you, and through her dreams she trusted you easily and opened her heart to you. I gave you Lucy´s love. You thought about everything in your spells, but you missed the one detail. Strengthening the bond with Lucy you also gave me the access to you. Through Lucy I could watch you, I could appear in your dreams. And in your dreams I could take you. Everything that happened, was never about Lucy, or even Narnia. It was all about you. You have taken so many lives. Of those who were loved, who were needed. You think you could redeem yourself creating this little shelter? In barely fifteen years after the centuries? No, Jadis. Now you are about to lose someone who you love. As you love for the first time. Yes, I know that you really do, I can feel your change. I can even tell you, what made this change, my Jadis. It was also Lucy. Little Lucy, who ran with her healing potion through the battle field, so scared and confused that she didn't notice that one of the bodies she passed was yours. Her hands were shaking and a drop of the enchanted cordial fell on you, as did her tears. Her innocence and compassion reached what was left of your heart and healed you. Oh, I have waited for this so long. Creating the bond between you two, I hoped you would open to this new ability to love. So you can experience fully the suffering you caused to others. To me. The loved one will be taken away from you. Unless… you show me, how much you love her. How much you can sacrifice for her."

"What?" Jadis' voice was merely a whisper. Her pride was gone, even the anger seemed to be overwhelmed by despair. She was trembling. At that moment Jadis looked smaller and more fragile as anybody who ever met her, could believe.

"Jadis. Let me in. Open to my love as well. Accept me as your king." The gentler was the lion's voice, the scarier it sounded.

"Your cruelty exceeds mine a thousand times. This is not about the punishment, or justice. You don´t care about the suffering, or about Narnia. It is all about your desire, isn´t it? My mistakes from the past give you a wonderful excuse to make me your slave, aren´t they?"

"No slave. I want your love. I want you to be mine, Jadis."

"Pathetic lion. Your lust blinds you."

"What is you answer witch?" The gentleness was gone. He hit the ice wall with his pawn, but it remained unbreakable. Jadis seemed to regain some of her strength.

"Never! I will never surrender to you." She hissed with breaking voice.

"Then you are choosing your pride over your beloved one?"

"No. There is no choice here. You are breaking all the Great Laws the Emperor ever set over Narnia. You can´t make me love you. You cannot make anybody obey you against the will. Now this entire world will hear about your true nature. And if you hurt Lucy, even the Emperor Beyond the Sea will know your reason. You have lost here. Leave us."

"She will forget you by sundown. I will send them back to their world and you will stay here alone, forever. This is your punishment." Aslan roared and disappeared.

"No!"

The ice wall was shining before her, cold and hard. Jadis clung to it, scratching its surface almost to the blood, and screamed, long and loud, until she fell on the snow.

}{}{}{}{}{

"I have a strange feeling, like I had to do something important, but I forgot…" Lucy set in her room where she and Susan were getting ready for a hunt.

"No idea," Susan replied, searching through Lucy´s clothes for a cape she wanted to borrow. "Lucy, why on the Aslan´s Mane, are you keeping a big mirror in the wardrobe?"

"I don´t know, the maid must have put it there during cleaning." Lucy mused. The strange feeling had returned, along with a particular kind of anxiety. She stared at the mirror that was very dusted. But then she shrugged and smiled dreamily. Aslan had returned! Well, at least for a moment, but still! They were all a little bit disappointed, as he only showed up for a while on Rabadash´s trial, and vanished again, not even looking at her. But after his visit everybody, she, Edmund, king Lune and Prince Corin felt, like the grass suddenly got more fresh and green, and their hearts were fulfilled with an overwhelming joy. But well, as Mr. Tumnus used to say, "Aslan comes and goes as he pleases, he is not a tame lion."

"Come on, you two! The white stag doesn´t come to Narnia very often, maybe we will get the chance to talk to him!" Edmund´s voice sounded from the corridor. Susan and Lucy left the room.

}{}{}{}{}{

Asbjørn crawled out of the snow and slowly, took a step forward, one, then another. It was more difficult than ever, since the Sanctuary was covered in a grey, freezing mist, and the fierce wind made every move hard.

"Grandpa, is it the end of the world?" A little bear raised his nose from the hole where he spent the last days, like every other animal in the winter land. Since everything got dark, they were afraid to move, so just stayed at homes, waiting, when the weather would get better again. Only Asbjørn felt, it wouldn't. He called his friends, and the bears moved themselves towards the cave, where the queen was still lying in the snow. They approached her, like fifteen years before, surrounded her in a protective circle and waited for a sign of life.

"We are at your side, whatever happens." He spoke to her. He guessed what happened, he was a very old bear after all. He had seen enough. "We are at your side, whatever happens." He repeated. Jadis, opened her eyes. "But the little ones, all the creatures who have found here shelter, they shouldn't suffer."

Jadis listened to this, and he spoke to her for a long time, about things that only bears know. And as she listened, the wind seemed to calm down a bit.

"There is a deeper magic than the one of Aslan. And it will show itself, in the right time."

Jadis sat in the snow, first, then stood up. After the bear's speech, she knew what to do. She came back to the cave and touched the ice wall with her hand.

"Dearest, you cannot hear me, but there will come a day you will. You have a talent of breaking spells. Lucy, there, in your world, you will see the snow. You cannot remember me, but you can remember the snow. Please, remember the snow. I will be there, in every snowflake touching your skin. Beloved, there is only an ice wall between us. I know you can break it. I will be waiting for you. Always."

And Jadis called all the creatures of the Sanctuary and gave them a choice. They could either leave her world and come back to the Wild Lands of the North, or stay with her and fall into a deep, unbreakable sleep. Jadis put a spell on her entire world and on herself. From that sleep, nobody, but Lucy herself could wake her up.

 _Lost in the darkness_

 _Hoping for a sign_

 _Instead there's only silence_

 _Can't you hear my screams?_

 _Never stop hoping_

 _Need to know where you are_

 _But one thing's for sure_

 _You're always in my heart_

 _I'll find you somewhere_

 _I'll keep on trying_

 _Until my dying day_

 _I just need to know_

 _Whatever has happened_

 _The truth will free my soul_

 _Lost in the darkness_

 _Tried to find your way home_

 _I want to embrace you_

 _And never let you go_

 _Almost hope you're in heaven_

 _So no one can hurt your soul_

 _Living in agony_

 _Cause I just do not know_

 _Where you are_

 _Wherever you are_

 _I won't stop searching_

 _Whatever it takes me to know_

("Somewhere" by Within Temptation)

The End

 **Author´s Note**

The story about Aslan as evil being hunting Jadis was on my mind since I have first read _The Chronicles of Narnia_ at the age of thirteen. I always had a thing for evil queens in fantasy stories and the White Witch was one of my favorite. I remember how much I wanted her to have a deeper background, and to redeem her, the way Disney did with Maleficent in the last production. Within the past years my vision of Jadis got influenced by the incredible role of Tilda Swinton in the Narnia movies. This genial actress put exactly the depth I needed in Jadis. Her expressive face changes, from a smile to anger in the second, a gentleness from one side, to a total wilderness from the other, this was the Jadis I fell in love with, so describing her I was basically describing Tilda, that´s why the blonde hair, the only discrepancy to a book I deliberately made.

I also have to thank my absolutely wonderful life partner, who was the first beta reader of this story and stopped me countless times from making major mistakes in the plot. It was thanks to her that Jadis remained Jadis in behavior, and each line was brutally censored with "no, she would never say that" or "no, Lucy cannot hug her after their first meeting, that would be way too soon". Thanks to this, the story also grew to the actual size and I guess it cannot be any shorter. The mentioned before "Maleficent" movie was a great inspiration of my Sanctuary. Before my eyes, I have hundreds of scenes with Lucy playing with the animals over there, and Jadis watching her in silence, the way Maleficent observed Aurora. But here comes again my beta reader, who reminded me that Lucy needs more reasons for visiting the White Witch than simple "hanging out on the snow". "The Horse and His Boy" was a wonderful background for the growing relationship, as it gave me not only the reason for Lucy´s trainings, but also a deeper insight on Lucy, whom the author himself described as good as a boy in combat, dressed in male shirt, golden haired and gay. Although the word "gay" had a different meaning then, I can bet every fan of femslash had a wide smile while reading this particular fragment of the book.

I do know it was sudden and some of you may think that I cut the story in the moment when it was getting interesting. But hey, this is exactly what Aslan did in the original book. He just threw the Pevensies out of Narnia and didn't give a damn what happens with the country. Who read all the books knows, what happens next. For a long time, I had a problem with the ending. Since I am always getting attached to the characters I write about, the final chapter was simply heart breaking. There is a big happy ending on my mind, giving a comfort to the last scene, but, obviously, it cannot happen yet. So the spark of hope I gave in the last words of Jadis can remind all who read all volumes of Narnia, that everything comes to an end. But writing the sequel will probably take me another year or two.


End file.
